The Herb Garden Month-By-Month

This book, purchased nearly as an afterthought, turned out to be the cream of the gadening crop. A fairly slim volume, it is crammed with information beautifully presented, with illustrations in full color (photographs/watercolors) and black and white (line drawings). Tasks of practical, seasonal upkeep are presented on a month-to-month basis, and the advice is sound. Punctuating the planting diagrams are insets with "Practical Projects", such as the construction of a simple but sturdy arbor--a delight for the individual who likes to "build" a garden. The herbs themselves are described in detail, often with accompanying line drawings, and the list is fairly extensive. The book itself is slim enough to be comfortably carried outside or tucked inside a notebook, and has not an inch of wasted layout space. I have purchased many herb books over the years, but have found this to be the most practical to date; it would be a bargain at twice the price! ! . I would love to see an accompanying volume dealing solely with the plants to complement the first book (perhaps there is one, but if so I have not yet read it). I cannot recommend this book highly enough--in summary, it is simple, practical, beautiful, and compact. It is a hidden gem amidst the glut of herb and gardening books already on the market, some of which are four times the size, but have not one quarter of the sensible, step-by-step information.