"Herbs are the worlds most interesting plants " says Howard Garrett. "They make beautiful landscape choices are useful for cooking controlling insect and disease pests healing wounds and are effective for improving the immune system." In this fully illustrated easy-to-use guide Garrett and veteran herbalist Odena Brannam offer expert advice on growing nearly 150 herbs suited to Texas and Southwestern gardens along with detailed information on each plants landscape culinary medicinal and other uses.Individual entries give each herbs common and scientific names and instructions for planting growing harvesting and storing it. The entries also include ideas for using each herb in gardening and cooking (with occasional recipes) and discuss its medicinal uses. A special "insight" section that offers intriguing often little-known facts about the herb rounds out each entry as well as a color photo.In addition to the individual herb descriptions Garrett sets forth the basics of organic gardening including pest control and discusses how to design a herb garden and also raise roses pecans and fruit trees without chemicals. Of special interest are his instructions for making teas from dozens of herbs and his list of trees shrubs vines and groundcovers with edible and/or medicinal properties. This wide range of information not available for Texas herbs in any other single source makes this book the perfect guide for homeowners gardeners landscapers chefs herbalists and health care providers.
