The Garden Apothecary

Current circumstances don’t allow me to have a garden, but if they did I’d want this book as a resource. The Garden Apothecary: Transform Flowers, Weeds and Plants into Healing Remedies by Becky Cole ($24.99, Hardie Grant, 2022) is a beautiful and inspiring reference that will bring you closer to the plants that grow in your yard.

Cole is a forager, gardener, and herbalist who lives on an award-winning farm in Northern Ireland. Learn from her experiences with the plant kingdom by discovering 20 common and safe varieties of herbs, including nettle, lemon balm, chickweed, calendula, yarrow, lavender, peppermint, rose, mullein, sage, and pine.

Learn harvesting and drying techniques to help you transform these powerful specimens into healing remedies, teas, and body care products. Try your hand at making vinegars (hawthorn berry), oils (forest skin oil with pine needles), honeys (rose and lemon balm), tinctures (rosemary memory), and syrups (simple spiced elderberry), all in easy-to-follow recipes.

The much-maligned dandelion has not been forgotten either. This cheery plant, which so many consider a weed, is actually a perennial herb. Learn how to sauté its greens into a healthy side, or use it in a spring tonic tea.

Plant profiles with identification tips, preparation techniques, and usages are included for each of the 20 plants. Charts, recipes, and full-color photographs round out the book, making it a joy to peruse whether you’re an avid or armchair gardener.