This book includes 82 of the most ornamental herbs for the avid herbal gardener. The author, Jo Ann Gardner, is an avid gardener and lover of flowers and herbs and this comes through very clearly in her writing of her experiences in her own gardening. The book is well laid-out and easy to read full of illustrations, photographs and crammed full of information geared toward starting a functional and beautiful herbal garden.
The introductory chapters give great information on how to grow, sow, propagate and maintain either seeds or seedlings. Included is another chapter on landscaping ideas to help the reader to layout and design the herbal garden before even getting started.
Each section includes a nice overview and history of the plant, the plant family and specifics needed for propagation including: soil, sun, zones, size, and seasons. The photographs and illustrations included help not only get a visual of the eventual garden design, but are also useful for the identification of already existing herbs in the back yard.
Although, the herbs included are categorized by latin name, there is also an index in the back to help cross-index and identify plants by their more common names. Another helpful index gives a quick reference for all the herbs included for which seasons they bloom best.
Herbs in Bloom (Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-698-1) is an awesome find for the avid herbalist-gardener who wants not only to have their own source of fresh herbs but have a truly gorgeous herbal garden to either show off for the neighbors or secretly relish in the quiet of the back yard.
I am a retired statistical database designer and stay-at-home mom with 3 children. I enjoy learning about the complexities of nutrition and nature with respect for God's master design. My goal is to uncover the mysteries of optimum health and share them with family, friends and others with similar desires.
