Copyright 2016 by
Melissa Melton Snyder
All rights reserved
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Book design by Nick Caruso
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed
edition as follows:
Snyder, Melissa Melton, author.
Herb gardening : how to prepare the soil, choose your
plants, and care for, harvest, and use your herbs /
Melissa Melton Snyder.
pages cm.(Countryman know-how)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58157-312-1 (pbk.)
1. Herb gardening. 2. Herbs. I. Title. II. Series:
Countryman know how.
SB351.H5S765 2016
635.7dc23
2015030291
ISBN 978-1-58157-586-6 (e-book)
THE COUNTRYMAN PRESS
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Photo Credits
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all the women in my life, past and present, who have
inspired me with their love of flowers and all things beautiful. Both my grandmothers,
Honey and Daisy, taught me much about the elegance of the natural world and the
usefulness of plants in all forms; Adelma Grenier Simmons taught me about the five
seasons of herb gardening and was my original inspiration for leaving a comfortable
life in the city for the dream of living the country life, meandering in an herb garden
with a cup of coffee while tamping down the rootlets of a wayward thyme plant. I also
want to remember the spirits of those predecessors who once occupied my current
home; the hardworking pioneers and farm women who left behind hints of their herb
gardens in the bundles of herbs in the attic rafters. They didnt plant herb gardens just
for pleasurethe herbs they grew on this land were just as important to the life they
led as were their animals and crops. We share their legacy now in some way.
Additionally, I would like to dedicate this book to the memory of Susan Urstadt, the
first agent who saw the potential in my husband Steve, helped launch his writing
career the same year we moved to Vermont, and was so instrumental in the early days
of this amazing journey. I like to think she is smiling on us from above.
CONTENTS
Whats the Difference Between an Herb and a Plant?
That was a real question asked by a grade-schooler who wanted to use herb plants in a science-fair project. How was he to know that herbs are plants? Nobody ever told him about this stuff before. This was not an idiotic question. In this chapter well start off with some of the more frequent questions about herbs: the basics.
Are you a busy person who wants to try your hand at herb gardening? Have you always loved the idea of herbs in your garden, but felt that herb gardening seemed so difficult, so geometric, so formal? Theres so much to learn about herbs, and youll never figure it all out, right? Wrong! Herbs are among the easiest plants to grow, and they adapt to many different growing conditionseven those caused by beginning gardeners.
Most herbs just want a sunny spot with good drainage. If youve got that, you should have no problem. There are a few exceptions, of course, but well get into those in later chapters. Just start with an idea or two, and build on that. As you gain confidence, youll soon realize that herb gardening is not the least bit intimidating. And youll actually enjoy it, too! The bottom line is, understanding a few basics about how plants growand why they sometimes dontwill help ensure the success of your herb garden-to-be.
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