Can beer make plants grow? How about buttermilk? Or music—classical or rock? Are you sure about planting trees in deep holes? And how about chasing insects with hot sauce and stopping slugs with eggshells? Whether in ancient books, on television, or in gardening publications, remedies for all your garden woes are here for the taking: the challenge is to know what will work and what won't. Fearlessly conducting original experiments and harvesting wisdom from the scientific literature, horticulturalist Jeff Gillman assesses new and historic advice and reveals the how and why‚ and sometimes the why not‚ for more than 100 common and uncommon gardening practices. The results will surprise even experienced gardeners.

Gardeners tend to assume that any organic product is automatically safe for humans and beneficial to the environment—and in most cases this is true. The problem, as Jeff Gillman points out in this fascinating, well-researched book, is that it is not always true, and the exceptions to the rule can pose a significant threat to human health. To cite just one example, animal manures in compost can be a source of harmful E. coli contamination if imporperly treated. Gillman's contention is that all gardening products and practices—organic and synthetic—need to be examined on a case-by-case basis to determine both whether they are safe and whether they accomplish the task for which they are intended. Ultimately, Gillman concludes, organic methods are preferable in most situations that gardeners are likely to encounter. After reading this eye-opening book, you will understand why, and why knowledge is the gardener's most important tool.

Herbal remedies for glowing health and well-being.

Where there's a symptom, there's also a homegrown cure. With just a windowsill, container, or small space, it's easy to grow an instant herbal remedy. Whether it's a cough, heartburn, joint pain, or neuralgia, readers will discover how easy it is to treat 40 ailments and conditions using herbs and herbal preparations they grow and make themselves. With inspiration found in science, tradition, and modern herbalistic practices, Grow It, Heal It touts the healing power of more than 50 herbs—from anise hyssop to yerba mansa. Two of the nation's premiere herbalists share growing, harvesting, and healing advice in this easy-to-use and friendly guidebook for herbal newbies, featuring teas, tinctures, salves, poultices, compresses, and aromatherapy. Among the many benefits of growing do-it-yourself remedies, readers will discover the convenience of preparing healing potions and salves when they're most needed; the advantage of having organic, fresh, and high-quality herbs they've nurtured themselves; and how empowering it is to engage in self-care and why that's important to the healing process. Growing herbs at home allows readers to take an active role in their own health care.

Learn how to cultivate and maintain gardens or containers with such herbs as parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, valerian, chamomile, and echinacea. Two-color illustrations.

Presents organic, practical, and inexpensive solutions for such gardening problems as weeds, insect pests, and plant propagation, and includes a pest identification guide listing organic control methods.

Herb gardens bring us deep into the heart of our medicine: when we step inside, their beauty and healing literally surround us. Blankespoor shows how to design a herb garden, and organically grow some of the most healing plants on the planet. Detailed herbal profiles, and clear instructions on transforming your garden harvests into botanical medicine and health-giving foods are also covered. -- adapted from back cover