HERB - Decent Beginners Book

[Warren & Meredith Harmon]

Hello!   I was perusing my mother's herb book collection, and I found a
very good, practical book for beginning herb people (like me!).  It's
"The Complete Book of Herbs: A practical guide to cultivating, drying,
and cooking with more than 50 herbs".  By Emma Callery, Courage Books (a
subsidiary of Running Press out of Philadelphia, PA), ISBN 1-56138-351-1,
Library of Congress # 93-85549.  (No price given, and Mom's not talking! 
She either picked it up at Border's, or at the Rodale sale - those are my
guesses.)  It originally comes out of Quintet Publishers in London.  The
first section deals with how to cultivate herbs, with all sorts of
growing tips; the next section is all about garden layouts - what herbs
to put with what - and most of the designs (including the two Celtic
knots!!) are from the 16th & 17th centuries.  I count about 20 herb
layouts, with tips for central displays (sundials, beehives, fountains,
stone columns, etc.).  The next section is all sorts of craft projects to
do, including drying tips: herb balls, posies, various potpourris,
bridesmaid's posies (not documented, but they talk about a "long
tradition in the Mediterranean"), lavendar wands, etc.  The last section
is the listing of the 50 herbs, with subsets on history (they drop hints
throughout - "English mallow features in a 2nd century herbal",
"chamomile was mentioned in both Gerard's and Culpeper's herbals"),
identification, cultivation, how to use.  Easch entry has a photograph
closeup of the herb, and most have pictures of the herb growing in a
garden.  Also, there are recipes scattered throughout, and most look old
(I can't vouch for their periodicity).  One's for chamomile cleansing
milk, another's for marigold wine, and marinated smoked fish.  Some
recipes are newer, like potato salad with horseradish, and tarragon
chicken.  
	Anyway, I hope this helps!  

-Caro

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