Herb Gardening for Canada.

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

For thousands of years, herbs were used by human beings for everything from flavouring their food to curing what ailed them. Our ancestors used to knowledgably hunt for herbs in the wild and grow them in their gardens. Sadly, for many Canadians these days, an herb garden is just a patch of chives running wild somewhere between the roses and the petunias. Master Gardener Laura Peters would like to help Canadians return to their herbaceous roots. This book features more than 60 plants that are more than just a pretty flower. Some are quite common, like the rose and lavender. A few are taken for granted, like the dandelion and sorrel.

The opening chapter introduces the reader to the basics of herb gardening, demonstrating such essentials as how to determine if a herb needs more sun, less water, sandier soil, or higher temperatures. Then, in alphabetical order, Peters introduces the reader to herbs from anise to wild strawberries. Each plant receives at least two full pages of in-depth content. The write-up includes the Latin name of the plant, a description of its natural history and relationship to humanity, its hardiness zone, what parts of the plant are used, its growing needs, tips on how to grow exceptional specimens, a list of recommended varieties, harvesting instructions and how to use the plant. Several beautiful colour photos are displayed for each plant to show how it looks in the garden and what it can be used for in the home. One quirk of this book is that not all the plants are really herbs in the strict sense of the word. Peters includes hot peppers, which are fruits, ginger, which is a spice root, garlic and onions, which are vegetables, and elderberries. This does not in any way detract from the overall excellence of the book.

A detailed glossary and index are included in the back of the book. If you are thinking about starting an herb garden, or planning to expand an existing one, this book is a great resource and a fun read.