Herbs add fragrance, beauty and practicality to your garden -- and it's easy to grow a wide variety of them just about anywhere here in the Midwest. This book, written by Laura Peters and coauthored by veteran Ohio garden writer Debra Knapke, offers handy tips and advice on: growing, maintaining and harvesting 360 of the best herbs for local gardens; propagation and winter care; solutions to common garden problems. This practical book will help you participate in the age-old tradition of using herbs to flavor foods, add seductive scents to potpourris and perfumes, and impart healthful, healing qualities to lotions and lip balms: * Exotic herbs such as kaffir lime, lemongrass, jasmine, fenugreek and stevia can be grown easily here. * Edible flowers such as nasturtiums and calendula can add flavor and interest to salads, teas, honeys and butters. * Fragrant herbs such as basil, rosemary and sage can be used in infusions, herbal baths and soaps.

Includes recipes for cooking with herbs, preserving herbs in jellies and vinegars; creating potpourris; and using herbs in decorating and gifts.

Designing and planting a garden can be a daunting task for the novice gardener. How do you start? What plants do you choose? What style of garden should you have? In this primer, the author provides a step-by step guide. Covering a wide gamut of plants – from trees and shrubs to herbs, annuals and perennials, fruits and vegetables, she provides suggestions of top picks, as well as details on maintenance and plant care. Ideas of how to deal with problems in the garden are also provided. Garden design principles are covered so that the resulting garden can be one that suits the goals and life style of the gardener. The book ends with a discussion of the gardening trends of the 21st century. A great addition to the library of the novice gardener.

A plain-English guide to the world of herb gardening Starting an herb garden isn't free, but it certainly outweighs the growing costs of buying retail herbs. Plus, adding homegrown ingredients to your meals is a healthy and tasty way to improve upon any dish you whip up at home. This friendly, hands-on guide is an excellent introduction to the world of herb gardening. It gives you tips and advice to grow a thriving herb garden that will add depth and flavor to home-cooked meals-as well as boost your health. How to choose, plant, and care for herbs Covers ready-made versus homemade soil mixes, starting plants from seeds, and other fundamentals How to prevent insects, pests, and diseases from invading your containers Over 30 herb recipes for everyday uses, including rubs, marinades, beauty products, and more Whether you're interested in getting step-by-step instructions for starting on your first herb garden or already have one and want to learn new tips and techniques, Herb Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition has you covered!

“This comprehensive, accessible, full-color guide includes plant profiles, step-by-step instructions for essential herbal remedies and seasonal foraging tips.” —Natural Awakenings Chicago In Midwest Medicinal Plants, Lisa Rose is your trusted guide to finding, identifying, harvesting, and using 120 of the region’s most powerful wild plants. You’ll learn how to safely and ethically forage and how to use wild plants in herbal medicines including teas, tinctures, and salves. Plant profiles include clear, color photographs, identification tips, medicinal uses and herbal preparations, and harvesting suggestions. Lists of what to forage for each season makes the guide useful year-round. Thorough, comprehensive, and safe, this is a must-have for foragers, naturalists, and herbalists in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

"Home gardeners in the Midwest will find everything they need to plan, prepare, plant and care for a vegetable or herb garden, and harvest their bounty. This publication provides detailed instructions with line drawings and color photographs of 100 major vegetables, minor vegetables, and herbs."--Promotional description