Posted from the Library on June 14, 2019 by Esther Jackson
Esther Jackson is a public services librarian at NYBG's LuEsther T. Mertz Library, where she manages reference and circulation services and oversees the Office of Plant Information. She spends much of her time assisting researchers, providing guidance on library resources, and collaborating with her NYBG staff on various projects related to garden initiatives and events.
Workman Publishing's four titles bring herbalism into the home and help readers develop and preserve botanical recipes and techniques.
Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies: How to Create a Customized Herb Garden to Support Your Health & Well-Being (2019) is the second book by Maria Noel Grove, author of Body into Balance. Grove is a registered herbalist and a professional member of the American Herbal Society.
Those who have read my past reviews, which encourage readers to do thorough independent research before consuming any of the plants featured on Grove, will not be surprised. Thankfully, Grove also encourages readers to take this step. The book is divided into his three sections: “Skills for Making Medicines,” “Remedy Garden,” and “Healing Garden Herbs.” I found the first section very interesting. Because Grove details the different ways you can prepare and preserve plants for home use. Beyond herbalism applications, these methods will be of interest to home cooks and food preservers. The second section details which plants should be used to treat which ailments, Grove said, and the final section includes herbal profiles.
Author JJ Pursell introduced readers to The Herbal Apothecary: 100 Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses in 2015. In 2019, Pursell published Master Recipes for Herbal Apothecary: 375 tinctures, salves, teas, capsules, oils, and washes for total body health. And wellness. Purcell is a board-certified naturopathic physician and certified acupuncturist who has been working with herbal medicine for over 20 years. “Master Recipes'' is a fairly simple work that contains general introductory information on how to make various mixtures (tinctures, ointments, etc.), followed by “Emotional Support'' and “For the Elderly''. Recipes based on specific areas of health, such as “Herbs'', follow. Although Herbal Apothecary contains mention of some plants that are perhaps a bit dangerous to encourage readers to experiment with (for example, Daucus carota, or Queen Anne's Lace, is mentioned by Purcell). It has a similar relative that is not very poisonous – Conium maculatum), also called poison hemlock. Yes, that poisonous hemlock), the master recipe sticks primarily to more common European weeds and North American plants. As always, readers are reminded to research beyond the book at hand and not to take for granted the safety of foraging or eating wild-harvested plants. Purcell is also the author of The Woman's Herbal Apothecary: 200 Natural Remedies for Healing, Hornone Balance, Beauty and Longevity, Creating Calm (2018). Herbal Apothecary has many recipes for women's and men's health.
Finally, to help readers keep track of their home remedies, another new book, The Herbal Recipe Keeper: My Collection of Healing Plant Remedies and Essential Oil Blends, provides readers with a journal to record their botanical recipes. This is a beautiful book that might make a nice gift, but it doesn't really offer any additional value in terms of tracking herbal recipes. The book is styled with herbal arrangements by Françoise Weeks, which is its main visual appeal and selling point.
