Growing & Using Herbs Successfully

Eat your vegetables - and plant them too! You an also have houseplant fun with fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices. From the common carrot to the exotic cherimoya, dozens of foods have pits, seeds, and roots waiting to be rescued from the compost bin and brought back to life on your windowsill. Planted and nurtured, the shiny pomegranate seeds left over from breakfast, and the neglected piece of ginger root in your refrigerator will grow into healthy, vigorous houseplants - kitchen experiments in the wonder of botany.

Plant the pits, roots, shoots and seeds of:

- Almonds
- Anise
- Avocadoes
- Beans
- Celery
- Citrus
- Dates
- Fennel
- Figs
- Gingerroot
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Mustard
- Papaya
- Peanuts
- Persimmon
- Pineapple
- Pomegranate
- Sesame
- Squash
- Turnip
- Tropical Guava
- And More!

Infuse your yard with the flavor, fragrance, beauty and healing power of organic herbs. Whether you want to work herbs into existing flower or food gardens, grow them in containers, or plant a dedicated herb garden, Homegrown Herbs is your in-depth guide to everything you need to know about planting, caring for, harvesting, drying and using more than 100 herbs.

This is the definitive guide to planting, growing, harvesting, and using 101 popular herbs. A step-by-step primer for gardeners of every level, it includes in-depth information on seed selection, planting, maintenance and care, harvesting, drying, uses in the kitchen, home pharmacy, crafting and body care. Sensational color photographs by Saxon Holt bring the information to life. With renowned herbalist Tammi Hartung as a guide, readers will discover that growing their own herbs is one of the easiest ways possible to bring more beauty, flavor and health to everyday life.

Tammi Hartung has been growing and working with herbs for 30 years and is a frequent teacher and lecturer at herb and gardening conferences. She and her husband cultivate 500 varieties of herbs on their organic farm in Colorado.

Tammi Hartung offers dozens of ideas for using your homegrown herbs:
- Prepare relaxing herbal baths and soaks
- Mix custom seasoning blends for your favorite recipes
- Make healing tinctures, liniments and elixirs
- Perk up recipes-salads, soups, pastas, vegetables, eggs-with fresh or dried herbs
- Personalize homemade body creams with your favorite herbal scents and healing properties
- Give homemade herbal vinegars and butters as holiday gifts
- Put the soothing power of herbs to good use in sleep pillows and heating pads
- Craft wreaths and potpourris with long-lasting fragrance and beauty

You’ll never think about compost the same way again! Turn the compost bin upside down! The nutritious, organic diet your garden craves is as simple as creating compost heaps right in the garden. Plants and compost live together in labor- and time-saving harmony, producing bright, sweet, juicy vegetables all season long.

If you have a backyard, or even a sunny porch or balcony, you can grow your own hops, brewing herbs, and malt grains to enhance the flavor, aroma, and uniqueness of your home-brewed beer - and ensure that you have the freshest, purest, best ingredients possible. Simple instructions from experts Joe and Dennis Fisher guide you through every step of the process, from setting up your first hop trellis to planting and caring for your herbs, harvesting and drying them, malting grain, and brewing more than 25 recipes specifically designed for homegrown ingredients. This fully updated second edition includes a new section featuring color photography of the plants, expanded information on growing hops in small spaces, innovative trellising ideas, an expanded section on malting, new profiles of prominent grower/brewers, and up-to-date information on grain-growing best practices.

Barbara Ellis provides expert answers for all of your toughest vegetable-growing questions. Designed to be used as an in-the-garden reference, this sturdy little volume is packed with helpful information on everything from planning a garden and sowing seeds to battling pests and harvesting organic crops. With clever tricks to cut down on weed growth, secrets for maximizing production in confined growing spaces, and fail-safe watering guidelines, you’ll have the know-how and inspiration to grow your most abundant vegetable garden ever.

From The Back Cover:
Know more, grow more! Do you ever wish you had a master gardener right next door? Now you do, with this little reference that delivers big vegetable truths to all your questions:
- What are the easiest vegetable crops to grow?
- How soon can I plant my peas in spring? How can I grow almost all my own food?
- Can I grow vegetables in containers? Is there any way to make weeding go faster?
- What can I put in my compost piles?
- How can I keep birds from eating my crops?