Latin for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored


Lorraine Harrison - 2012
    And while mastery of the classical language may not be a prerequisite for pruning perennials, all gardeners stand to benefit from learning a bit of Latin and its conventions in the field. Without it, they might buy a Hellebores foetidus and be unprepared for its fetid smell, or a Potentilla reptans with the expectation that it will stand straight as a sentinel rather than creep along the ground.An essential addition to the gardener’s library, this colorful, fully illustrated book details the history of naming plants, provides an overview of Latin naming conventions, and offers guidelines for pronunciation. Readers will learn to identify Latin terms that indicate the provenance of a given plant and provide clues to its color, shape, fragrance, taste, behavior, functions, and more.  Full of expert instruction and practical guidance, Latin for Gardeners will allow novices and green thumbs alike to better appreciate the seemingly esoteric names behind the plants they work with, and to expertly converse with fellow enthusiasts. Soon they will realize that having a basic understanding of Latin before trips to the nursery or botanic garden is like possessing some knowledge of French before traveling to Paris; it enriches the whole experience.

The New Age Herbalist: How to Use Herbs for Healing, Nutrition, Body Care, and Relaxation


Richard Mabey - 1988
    "The New Age Herbalist" is a compendium of healthy alternatives, an indispensable guide for contemporary natural living. Created by a team of experts, it offers: A full-color illustrated glossary of more than 200 herbs, describing their properties, active ingredients, and traditional uses around the worldA guide to using herbs for scent, for decoration, and even as chemical-free housekeeping aidsTips on using herbs for skin care and beauty, by making natural shampoos, lotions, soaps, and cosmeticsA review of culinary herbs, with some unusual recipes that use familiar herbs in delightful new waysAn examination of the growing science of herbal healing, discussing herbal remedies -- including stress relievers -- and the scientific research that validates themA complete herb gardening plan, with advice on choosing symbiotic herbs, designing and scheduling plantings, and preserving the harvest by freezing and dryingFascinating, authoritative, packed with information presented in a stunning visual style, "The New Age Herbalist" will be the home herb user's bible for years to come.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs


Claire Kowalchik - 1987
    Presented in A-to-Z format, supplemented with easy-to-use charts and lists, beautifully illustrated with drawings and color photographs, it is the only book on herbs you ever need to buy.

The Way of Herbs


Michael Tierra - 1980
    It shows how to gain and maintain health through a holistic approach, with information on simple herb remedies, and descriptions of more than 140 Western herbs and 31 Chinese herbs.The Way of Herbs is an essential manual for gaining and maintaining good health through a holistic approach, a natural path to well-being and is “the one book that should be in everyone’s library” (William McGarey, MD). Discover: *The three functions of herbs *Eight traditional methods of herbal therapy *The benefits of a balanced diet *Herbal treatments for cancer, herpes, acne, arthritis, back pain, weight problems, colds, and flu *Detailed descriptions, use, and dosage for more than 140 Western herbs and 31 important Chinese herbs *How to purchase, grow, and store herbs *A new, extensive directory of herbal health-care stores “The first herb book that effectively blends Eastern, European, and American Indian healing traditions” (Steven Foster, director of the American Center for Herb Study).

Honoring the Medicine: The Essential Guide to Native American Healing


Ken Cohen - 2003
    It is America’s original holistic medicine, a powerful means of healing the body, balancing the emotions, and renewing the spirit. Medicine men and women prescribe prayers, dances, songs, herbal mixtures, counseling, and many other remedies that help not only the individual but the family and the community as well. The goal of healing is both wellness and wisdom.Written by a master of alternative healing practices, Honoring the Medicine gathers together an unparalleled abundance of information about every aspect of Native American medicine and a healing philosophy that connects each of us with the whole web of life—people, plants, animals, the earth. Inside you will discover• The power of the Four Winds—the psychological and spiritual qualities that contribute to harmony and health• Native American Values—including wisdom from the Wolf and the inportance of commitment and cooperation• The Vision Quest—searching for the Great Spirit’s guidance and life’s true purpose• Moontime rituals—traditional practices that may be observed by women during menstruation• Massage techniques, energy therapies, and the need for touch • The benefits of ancient purification ceremonies, such as the Sweat Lodge• Tips on finding and gathering healing plants—the wonders of herbs • The purpose of smudging, fasting, and chanting—and how science confirms their effectivenessComplete with true stories of miraculous healing, this unique book will benefit everyone who is committed to improving his or her quality of life. “If you have the courage to look within and without,” Kenneth Cohen tells us, “you may find that you also have an indigenous soul.”From the Hardcover edition.

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs


Steven Foster - 1990
    More than 300 color photos illustrate the plants, their flowers, leaves, and fruits. The descriptive text includes information on where the plants are found as well as their known medicinal uses. An index to medical topics is helpful for quickly locating information on specific ailments from asthma and headaches to colds and stomach aches. Symbols next to plant descriptions provide quick visual caution for plants that are poisonous or cause allergic reactions. Organized by plant color for fast identification, this guide is a tool for understanding the traditional medicinal uses of the plants around us.

Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms


Eugenia Bone - 2011
    Yet when it comes to fungi, culinary uses are only the tip of the iceberg. Throughout history fungus has been prized for its diverse properties—medicinal, ecological, even recreational—and hasspawned its own quirky subculture dedicated to exploring the weird biology and celebrating the unique role it plays on earth. In Mycophilia, accomplished food writer and cookbook author Eugenia Bone examines the role of fungi as exotic delicacy, curative, poison, and hallucinogen, and ultimately discovers that a greater understanding of fungi is key to facing many challenges of the 21st century.Engrossing, surprising, and packed with up-to-date science and cultural exploration, Mycophilia is part narrative and part primer for foodies, science buffs, environmental advocates, and anyone interested in learning a lot about one of the least understood and most curious organisms in nature.

The Wild Medicine Solution: Healing with Aromatic, Bitter, and Tonic Plants


Guido Mase - 2013
    Explains how 3 classes of wild plants--aromatics, bitters, and tonics--are uniquely adapted to work with our physiology because we co-evolved with them. Provides simple recipes to easily integrate these plants into meals as well as formulas for teas, spirits, and tinctures. Offers practical examples of plants in each of the 3 classes, from aromatic peppermint to bitter dandelion to tonic chocolate As people moved into cities and suburbs and embraced modern medicine and industrialized food, they lost their connection to nature, in particular to the plants with which humanity co-evolved. These plants are essential components of our physiologies--tangible reminders of cross-kingdom signaling--and key not only to vibrant physical health and prevention of illness but also to soothing and awakening the troubled spirit. Blending traditional herbal medicine with history, mythology, clinical practice, and recent findings in physiology and biochemistry, herbalist Guido Mase explores the three classes of plants necessary for the healthy functioning of our bodies and minds--aromatics, bitters, and tonics. He explains how bitter plants ignite digestion, balance blood sugar, buffer toxicity, and improve metabolism; how tonic plants normalize the functions of our cells and nourish the immune system; and how aromatic plants relax tense organs, nerves, and muscles and stimulate sluggish systems, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. He reveals how wild plants regulate our heart variability rate and adjust the way DNA is read by our cells, controlling the self-destructive tendencies that lead to chronic inflammation or cancer. Offering examples of ancient and modern uses of wild plants in each of the 3 classes--from aromatic peppermint to bitter dandelion to tonic chocolate--Mase provides easy recipes to integrate them into meals as seasonings and as central ingredients in soups, stocks, salads, and grain dishes as well as including formulas for teas, spirits, and tinctures. Providing a framework for safe and effective use as well as new insights to enrich the practice of advanced herbalists, he shows how healing wild plant deficiency syndrome --that is, adding wild plants back into our diets--is vital not only to our health but also to our spiritual development.

Common Herbs for Natural Health


Juliette De Bairacli Levy - 1987
    Juliette de Bairacli utilizes her Gypsy wisdom and decades of studying herbs and healing to create a book filled with natural remedies and recipes. What a treasure! Her respect and love for the plants, the earth, and the medicinal knowledge garnered from people of all ethnic origins is powerful, practical, and sensible. My gardens and personal health are already benefiting from this intelligent and tender book.

Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine


Thomas Bartram - 1998
    Containing over 900 entries of general disease conditions and corresponding herbal treatments, this book covers therapeutic action, 550 monographs of medicinal plants, and the properties of herbs and preparations such as tinctures, liquid extracts, poultices and essential oils.

Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft


Ann Moura - 1996
    Positive, practical, and easy to use, Green Witchcraft brings together the best of both modern Wicca and the author's family heritage of herb craft and folk magic.Green Witchcraft explores the fundamentals of the Wiccan religion, providing magical training for the independent thinker. Step-by-step instructions on a wide variety of magical techniques as well as basic rules of conduct make this the ideal book to get you started. Green rituals for self-initiation, rites of passage, seasonal celebrations and activities provide an excellent foundation for your own magical tradition.Discover the fine art of spellcasting, the magical uses of herbs, divination with the tarot and more. Explore the Sabbats, Esbats, and other rituals attuned to the cycles of nature and the universal powers. Find out for yourself what this organic approach to Witchcraft is all about.

Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection


Jessica Prentice - 2006
    The book follows the thirteen lunar cycles of an agrarian year, from the midwinter Hunger Moon and the springtime sweetness of the Sap Moon to the bounty of the Moon When Salmon Return to Earth in autumn. Each chapter includes recipes that display the richly satisfying flavors of foods tied to the ancient rhythm of the seasons.Prentice decries our modern food culture: megafarms and factories, the chemically processed ghosts of real foods in our diets, and the suffering--physical, emotional, cultural, communal, and spiritual--born of a disconnect from our food sources. She laments the system that is poisoning our bodies and our communities.But Full Moon Feast is a celebration, not a dirge. Prentice has emerged from her own early struggles with food to offer health, nourishment, and fulfillment to her readers. She recounts her relationships with local farmers alongside ancient harvest legends and methods of food preparation from indigenous cultures around the world.Combining the radical nutrition of Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, keen agri-political acumen, and a spiritual sensibility that draws from indigenous as well as Western traditions, Full Moon Feast is a call to reconnect to our food, our land, and each other.

The Herbal Kitchen: 50 Easy-to-Find Herbs and Over 250 Recipes to Bring Lasting Health to You and Your Family


Kami McBride - 2010
    With over 250 recipes for herbal oils, vinegars, pestos, dressings, salts, cordials, syrups, smoothies and more, The Herbal Kitchen provides the information necessary to prepare, store, and use herbs, and create a long term healthcare plan. The Herbal Kitchen will help you to recognize the extraordinary pharmacy that already exists in your own kitchenone that will boost immunity, heal sickness, enhance energy, and ensure overall health and vitality, all without the need for fancy equipment or specialty products.

The Herbalist's Way: The Art and Practice of Healing with Plant Medicines


Nancy Phillips - 2005
    Inspirational profiles of practicing herbalists from across the country add a human touch to the authors' wealth of practical herbal knowledge.The Herbalist's Way includes time-honored healing wisdom from many cultures, as well as information on: - Roles and responsibilities of herbalists in their communities - Herbal workshops, conferences, and education centers - Growing, drying, and preparing medicinal herbs - Learning to listen to clients and recommend holistic treatments for healing and continued wellness - Licensing, marketing, and other legal and business issues facing modern herbalists - Comprehensive resources and suggestions for building your herbal library

Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge


Terence McKenna - 1992
    Illustrated.