Herbs! We all love them and have our favorites. The time is soon (or now, if you do indoor gardening) to plant fresh herbs for the new growing season. Rosemary, parsley, cilantro, mint, lemon balm, and calendula are easy to grow and some of my favorites. You can at least spend some time on a cool March day planning out your perfect herb garden, even if you don't plant everything - or anything. If you are not a gardener, there are still plenty of ways to harness the healing and flavorful, scent-rich power of herbs. Dried herbs and essential oils are two ways you can enjoy herbs for health, home, and more with no green thumb necessary.
Most essential oils are derived from herbs, and have many uses to promote health, lift your mood, and act as helpful additives to household cleaners, body care products, cosmetics, and more. I’ve noticed some newer books about their uses here at the library, and have also noticed growing curiosity about them in my personal circles and in the world around me. Here, I highlight some of my favorite herbal resources from the stacks at ICPL.
The herbal handbook for home & health : 501 recipes for healthy living, green cleaning & natural beauty
Pip Waller
615.321 /Waller
Gardening, Health, Home
"Make your own stain removers, laundry detergent, fabric softeners, window & glass cleaner, room freshener, furniture polish, oven cleaner, throat lozenges, cough medicine, mouthwash, toothpaste, pet supplies, insect repellent, cordials, wines, syrups, teas, baked goods, soap, lip balm, mascara, shaving cream, facial masks, body sprays"--Cover.
The healing intelligence of essential oils : the science of advanced aromatherapy
Kurt Schnaubelt
615.321 /Schnaubelt
Health, Nature
"Explores science's new biological understanding of essential oils for improved immunity and treatment of degenerative diseases"--
Homegrown herbs : a complete guide to growing, using, and enjoying more than 100 herbs
Tammi Hartung
635.7 /Hartung
Gardening
Herb gardening from the ground up : everything you need to know about growing your favorite herbs
Sal Gilbertie
635.7 /Gilbertie
Gardening
This is a great resource that focuses mainly on how to garden and grow herbs, with less of an emphasis on creating herbal preparations or cooking with herbs. Recommended if you are new to gardening, but want to get started with a little herb garden of your own.
- Heidi K
Aromatherapy : a complete guide to the healing art
Kathi Keville
615.321 /Keville
Health
"A comprehensive guide to the art and science of creating therapeutic essential oils and herbal preparations, and using them in health, beauty, body care, massage, and more"--Provided by publisher.
Rosemary Gladstar's medicinal herbs : a beginner's guide.
Rosemary Gladstar
615.321 /Gladstar
Nature
Rosemary Gladstar offers an introduction for a new generation of gardeners and natural health and self-sufficiency enthusiasts. Thirty-three of the most common and versatile healing plants are profiled in depth to get the budding herbalist off on the right foot. Readers will learn how to grow, harvest, prepare, and use each herb. Step-by-step instructions explain how to prepare herbal teas, salves, syrups, tinctures, oils, and liniments to stock the home medicine chest. Simple recipes explore each plant's healing qualities -- aloe lotion for poison ivy, dandelion-burdock tincture for sluggish digestion, and lavender-lemon balm tea for stress relief.
Rosemary Gladstar's herbs for reducing stress & anxiety.
Rosemary Gladstar
615.321 /Gladstar
Health, Gardening
Move beyond lavender and learn about other herbs that can help in times of anxiety or just everyday stress and tension.
- Heidi K
The essential herbal for natural health : how to transform easy-to-find herbs into healing remedies for the whole family
Holly Bellebuono
615.321 /Bellebuono
Health, Nature
An introduction to herbal healing for beginners focuses on thirteen foundation herbs while explaining how to prepare hundreds of simple and effective home treatments for common conditions, including stomach aches, anxiety, and dry skin.
Another good place to start if you are new to making herbal preparations and want to start working with some well-known herbs.
- Heidi K
This book came out in 2017 and is beautiful! Lots of interesting herb profiles and lovely pictures.
- Heidi K