Judy Griffin
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5
Average rating: 5.0 of 5
MOTHER NATURE'S HERBAL 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Dr. Judy Griffin provides a comprehensive guide to the herb world in Mother Nature's Herbal, her latest book. A master gardener, herbalist, and certified horticulturist, Griffin explains everything from how to start seeds in properly amended soil to harvesting and using the leaves, flowers, and berries of each plant optimally. Her book is part of Llewellyn's Whole Life Series, which focuses on holistic living.
Griffin describes each herb fully, using common and botanical names. Delving into folklore, she presents historical and contemporary uses of many plants. She also provides cultural information on the use of herbalism (plant medicine) through the centuries, including Ayurvedic (Indian), Chinese, medieval, Mediterranean, and Native and South American remedies. Griffin wrote Mother Nature's Herbal for "those who are ready to learn and experience the beauty, knowledge, and synergy of everything that grows." She adds that "I emphasize companion planting, kitchen gardens, and herbal repellents."
Her book includes more than 200 recipes, ranging from Mango Salsa to Ginger Zucchini Carrot Cake to Pesto Genovese to the Nobody Loves Me Tonic, for when "life has let you down and no one seems to care." Health recipes encompass an abundance of tonics, as well as recipes for skin and hair care, therapeutic baths, and simple medicinal remedies. Food recipes include butters, vinegars, marinades, oils, and seasoning blends. She devotes one chapter to the use of essential oils and flower remedies.
Pen and ink drawings of 102 herbs garnish the pages, along with 24 color photos. Bits of wisdom, such as "Believe in your innate right to celebrate life through good health" and "The garden is the poor man's apothecary" are sprinkled throughout the book.
Griffin offers planting arrangements and directions for theme gardens, including a bee garden (which will also attract hummingbirds), culinary garden, romantic garden, fragrant garden, survivor's garden (herbs that will "tolerate poor, rocky soil"), shade garden, Biblical garden, and evergreen garden. Appendices include a growing chart with the conditions under which each plant will do best; information about nutrients; and a purchasing guide, with suppliers' addresses and telephone numbers. She provides an extensive glossary and bibliography.
Readers unfamiliar with the world of herbs will find a wealth of information for beginners in Griffin's book. More experienced herbalists will appreciate the thoroughness of her research. Everyone will enjoy the dozens of tips Griffin offers, like this one: "flavor salad dressing by soaking herbs in it for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. Use one teaspoon of herbs to one cup of dressing."
Editorial Review:
I'm passionate about books that overflow with useful information, and Mother Nature's Herbal stirs my faculties on many levels simultaneously. Judy Griffin goes beyond "how-to" in her anthropological approach to the history, uses, and cultural significance of herbs in societies from West to East, yet her manner is still lighthearted and not overbearingly intellectual. This is a perfectly functional guide to herbalism, but it also engenders a respect and awareness of how important these plants have been to humankind.
