Herb Gardening from the Ground Up: Everything You Need to Know About Growing Your Favorite Herbs

by Sal Gilbertie, Larry Sheehan, Lauren Jarrett (Illustrator)

Overview

Garden-fresh herbs impart flavor and fragrance that dried, packaged products simply can't. Now, anyone with access to a few square yards of soil (or even a sunny patio or windowsill) can enjoy the punch and pungency that only come from fresh herbs, hand-picked from the garden. Herb Gardening from the Ground Up demonstrates how to design, seed, and nurture 38 culinary herb gardens that are delightful to the eye as well the palate.

Designed to supply herbs for a wide range of flavors as well as a pleasing balance of colors, there are gardens to suit every taste and cooking trend, including a French chef's repertoire, an Italian trattoria's menu, the aromatic seasonings of Asia, the closer-to-home flavors of American barbecue, and the piquant profiles for a Tex-Mex feast. There are herbs for flavoring fish and game, soups and salads, bread and other baked goods, and, for the mixologists among us, even herbs for the home cocktail bar.

Herb Gardening from the Ground Up offers historical insight, provides starting-from-scratch, season-to-season basics for planting in the present, and looks forward to the bright future of urban and suburban growing trends.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612545486
Publisher:	Brown Books Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	1,038,632
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.12(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Sal Gilbertie is the third-generation owner/proprietor of Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens located in Westport, Connecticut. Established in 1922, Gilbertie’s is the largest herb grower and supplier in the United States today. Sal Gilbertie has been at the forefront of the organic vegetable gardening movement for more than 40 years. A highly respected and entertaining instructor, he was voted the 2011 Connecticut Organic Farmer of the Year. 

Larry Sheehan’s long list of writing credits include newspapers, magazines, television documentaries, and dozens of books including the best-selling Living with Dogs and The Sporting Life.

Table of Contents

I. Herbs Are for Everyone
Herbs: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Stalking the Elusive Pink Hyssop
Four Facts of Herb Life 

II. Building the First Garden
Starting from Scratch
What You’ll Need to Start Herbs from Seed Indoors
Cluster Sowing Indoors
Spot Sowing Indoors 
Cluster and Row Sowing Outdoors
Making Divisions of Spreading Perennials
Taking Cuttings of Single-Stemmed Perennials
Take Your Choice: Herbs for All Seasons and Reasons
Maintaining the First Garden
Harvesting and Storing Herbs
Steps to Take for the Second Spring
Bringing Herb Plants Indoors

III. Herb Garden Plans
How to Use the Plans
Culinary Garden: Year One
Culinary Garden: Year Two
Culinary Garden: Year Three
Trattoria Garden
Taste of Asia Garden
Tex-Mex Garden 
French Chef Garden
Annual Garden 
Perennial Garden
Mint Garden
Sage Garden
Thyme Garden 
Basil Garden
Allium Garden
Salad Garden
Tea Garden
Soup Garden
Bread Garden
Breakfast Garden
Fish & Game Garden
Cake & Cookie Garden
Home Bar Garden
Potpourri Garden
Pest Repellent Garden
Honeybee Garden 
Medicinal Herb Garden
Dyer’s Garden 
Colonial Garden 
Scented Geranium Garden 
White-Flowering Herb Garden 
Yellow- & Orange-Flowering Herb Garden 
Pink- & Red-Flowering Herb Garden 
Blue- & Purple-Flowering Herb Garden 
Silver Garden 
Christmas Wreath Garden
Shady Garden
Cottage Garden
Free-Form Cottage Garden
Container Herb Gardens

IV. Herb Culture Guide
How to Use the Culture Guide 
Harvesting & Storing the 15 Basic Herbs 
Start from Scratch Schedule 

Sources 
Index 

Editorial Reviews

"One of life's great pleasures is a delicious meal prepared with fresh, organic herbs from your own garden. Whether you have a real garden or just a window box, I can think of no better guide to creating a sustainable herb garden than Sal Gilbertie. For more than 30 years, I have turned to Sal for healthy, productive plants and, with this useful and informative book, he can help you, too, cultivate your garden." —Martha Stewart

From the Publisher