Holly Bellebuono - Llewellyns Little Book of Herbs

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Llewellyns Little Book of Herbs 2020 by Holly Bellebuono.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the authors copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition 2020

E-book ISBN: 9780738762784

Book design by Rebecca Zins

Cover cartouche by Freepik

Cover design by Lisa Novak and Shira Atakpu

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bellebuono, Holly, author.

Title: Llewellyns little book of herbs / Holly Bellebuono.

Other titles: Little book of herbs

Description: Woodbury, Minnesota : Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd, 2020. |

Series: Llewellyns little book series; 12

Identifiers: LCCN 2019053979 (print) | LCCN 2019053980 (ebook) | ISBN

9780738762050 (paperback) | ISBN 9780738762784 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Herbals. | Medicinal plants. | Herb gardening. |

HerbsTherapeutic use.

Classification: LCC RM666.H33 B4574 2020 (print) | LCC RM666.H33 (ebook) | DDC 615.3/21dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019053979

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019053980

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publishers website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

The recipes, suggestions, and ideas in this book are based on the authors personal experience and are not meant to constitute medical advice. For illnesses, consult a health care professional.

acknowledgments

Warm thanks to my friends with whom Ive enjoyed gardens and flowers for years: Laurisa, Zoe, Lisa, Kristina, Tarah, and Missy; and to the students with whom Ive delighted in sharing herb stories and adventures: Ellen, Keya, Sasha, Patty, Janice, and many more who have graced my gardens with their presence and enthusiasm. Gratitude to my wonderful sister, Leslie, for always being there for me. Much love to my children, Gabriel and Madia; Im so proud of you both! May your life experiences be creative and meaningful. Deep love and thanks to my dear David, my loving partner; your support for my work makes me smile, and our friendship means the world to me.

Thanks to my agent, Jody Kahn, and to the people at Llewellyn, who help empower us all one book at a time.

Contents

List of

List of

: Growing

: Harvesting

: Making

: Using and Sharing

Exercises

: Creating a Growing Space

: Harvesting Nettle

: Harvesting Valerian

: Screen Drying

: Brewing Hot Tea

: Making Sun Tea

: Making Iced Tea

: Making Beeswax Salves

: Making Coconut Oil Salves

: Making Lotion and Face Cream

: Making Spritzers

: Making a Bath Tea

: Making a Bath Garden

: Making a Bath Lotion

: Enjoying a Foot Soak with Epsom Salt and Herbs

: Making an Herbal Tincture

: Making a Vinegar Tincture

: Making Infused Honey

: Making Syrup

: Making a Honey and Vinegar Oxymel

: Making Fizzy Drinks

: Making Ice Cubes

: The Summer Basket

: The Camp Basket

: The Off-to-College Basket

: The Mothers Day Basket

: The Get-Well Basket

: Making and Using a Spit Poultice

: Making and Using a Compress

: Making and Using a Regular Poultice

Tips

: Tucking Herbs Elsewhere

: Moving Herbs Inside

: The Three Easiest Herbs

: Baskets and Bags

: Tools versus Fingers

: Using Dehydrators

: Using a Thermos to Store Hot Tea

: Making Salves: Keep It Dry

: The Value of Small Batches

: Label That Jar!

: Host a Making Party

: Keeping Herbs Fresh in the Kitchen

: Keeping Spritzers in the Fridge

Charts

introduction

G reetings! Welcome to the world of growing and using medicinal herbs. Whether you are a seasoned gardener and you want to put all those abundant plants to use or youve made salves and oils before but never tried growing your own herbsor any number of other plant/craft combinationsthis book is for you. You may be eyeing your garden space right now, imagining where to plant the basil, or you may be hunkered down in a snowstorm perusing seed catalogs. Perhaps youre sitting on a small porch or balcony and dreaming about beautiful herbs growing in pots. Maybe youve just sampled a little jar of beeswax salve and youre wondering how to make something similar yourself. Wherever you are, and whatever your background with plants is, know that this book is a friendly welcome from an herbalist who has spent years learning, experimenting, and enjoying growing herbs and using their wonderful medicinesand it will help you do the same.

Herbs are a welcoming enterprise. Working with plants is a lovely way to spend your time, and not only is it therapeutic and enjoyable, its also functional because we can make so many helpful and healing remedies with plants. It can boost confidence to know that you can be in charge of your own health, using plants as both foods and medicines to support a healthy lifestyle. Many men and women enjoy the ability to support their families and communities through simple remedies for common health issues, such as cough, runny nose, indigestion, and difficulty sleeping. Not only is it cost-effective to grow and use your own herbs, but it is heartening to know that you can provide for your family. It is also exciting to learn more about a heritage and tradition that has been a cornerstone of many lives for centuries.