The Beginning Gardener
This past year was my first time cultivating a garden on our new homestead. I started off small, unsure of how the plants would handle the soil. Also, I was less than confident in my skills as a gardener. My husband likes to call me “The Plant Hospice.” Back when we lived in New York I had a garden for three years before ‘throwing in the towel.’ My tomatoes caught the blight, my green beans were plundered by bunnies and my cucumbers seemed to have a insatiable thirsts.
My recent discovery of natural and herbal medicine has set me on the path to growing my own herbs for teas, medicine and cooking. After buying dried herbs for several years I know I can grow and dry them cheaper. The enjoyment I have received from performing the process from start to finish is also a reason I wish to continue perfecting my brown thumb.
The Review…
Medicinal Herbs By Rosemary Gladstar is a fabulous book not only for the beginning medicine maker but the beginning gardener. Rosemary covers the basics of herb gardening and medicine making techniques such as tinctures, salves, poultices and syrups. Each herb she features has several easy recipes whether for medicinal purposes, food consumption or beauty treatments. While the step by steps have enough details for the beginner I would have proffered to see a few picture tutorials. Overall, this was a easy read full of helpful information. I always find myself reaching for this book despite my large collection of herbal medicine making books.
A few of my favorite makes from this book were pickled garlic (great natural antibiotic), mullien flower ear oil (for ear infections) and Rosemary’s Famous Face Cream (the only face cream I use).
