Best books on herbs for gardening, cooking and medicinal properties

If you are looking for an overview of the most common herbs, this thorough and easy-to-follow guide documents 40 herb varieties and will guide you on planting, watering, harvesting, and more. Plus, each variety of herbs contains a section on tasting notes and how to best use it in the kitchen.

It also includes information and culinary instructions for preserving and storing as well as techniques for making delicious pastes, syrups, vinegar, and butter.

Review: "We were building a herb garden for our condo community. This book helped tremendously with our choices of herb, soil, light, and water. Great resource."

The authors lay out a scientific guide to herbal medicine-making in this in-depth, beautifully illustrated book. It features a collection of 50 natural remedies from the authors and suggested uses and dosages for a long list of herbs.

Focused on showing readers how to make their medicines at home at an affordable price, you can expect to find everything from growing herbs to harvesting and preparing them for medicinal use.

Review: "This book is a great gateway into the world of herbal medicine. References to ancient and traditional uses complement explanations of modern use, and the plants are explored in an informal way. That isn't to say that the book isn't accurate and scientific (there is plenty of jargon and scientific terminology to sink your teeth into), simply that it's inviting and unintimidating."

Growing herbs in a container is a great way to cultivate herbs using different pots or receptacles. This book is a helpful guide on how to use containers, soil, location, and more.

So whether you have a big garden, allotment, or a small plot growing herbs in containers is an efficient way to have fresh herbs at home. It also features gorgeous photography and multiple container recipes for mixing and matching your favourites.

Review: "Having recently begun to cultivate my apartment balcony garden, I would usually go to the garden centre and purchase whatever looked good and would survive. This is a great guide to how to make beautiful and useful container gardens. Whether you have a few pots like me or a whole garden, I am excited to start making better use of my little garden."

Even if you don't have a garden, you can still create a small herb garden indoors. Depending on the lighting or space, growing herbs inside may be our best option - especially in the cooler months.

This book presents some great ideas on how to use the area in your kitchen and home most effectively and how to start planting and taking care of your herbs.

Review: "This book is fantastic! It gives you complex information on what and how to grow indoors. The ideas are original and creative, and the visuals are executed so well."

If you are looking to find natural methods to stay balanced, energised, and healthy - adaptogens are a fantastic remedy to chronic stress. A rise in stress hormones such as cortisol can lead to fatigue, anxiety, weight fluctuations, degenerative diseases and more.

This book explains how adaptogens increase energy and stamina, counters the effects of age and stress on the body, and details the properties, preparation, and dosage of herbs and their benefits in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.

Review: "Great book packed with info."

Plant-based medicines provide many healing possibilities for the body, mind, and soul. This holistic guide from naturopath JJ Pursell offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to medicinal plants and how they work.

The Herbal Apothecary contains step-by-step guides, advice on growing and foraging for healing plants, and recommendations for plant-based remedies to combat common ailments like muscle strain, anxiety, and insomnia from the herbs grown in your garden.

Review: "The herbal apothecary is an absolute treasure! I’ve found it tremendously helpful, thoroughly researched and healing for the mind and soul. The illustrations are beautiful!"

The Green Witch is a book that will help you to learn how to optimise your land and learn from nature. From how to use herbs, plants, and flowers to make potions and oils for everyday healing, plus information on how crystals, gems, stones, and twigs can have healing properties.

This guide also contains easy-to-understand directions for herbal blends, ritual suggestions, recipes for healing foods, and information on listening and observing nature.

Review: "Personally, I love this book! It’s helpful and better than what I was expecting, and I love the design!"

This book offers a visual index of 120 culinary herbs and over 30 delicious recipes to make with them. Learn how to prepare herbs to make salad dressings, marinades, flavoured butter, pesto, herbal teas, seasonings and cordials, and how to plant the seeds and nurture them as they grow.

This is an essential handbook for anyone who wants to add some flare to their meals and make refreshing drinks using herbs grown at home.

Review: "This is a great little hardback book full of insightful tips and just about everything you need to know on the subject. Beautifully presented throughout this will be a great addition to any bookshelf."

If you are a lover of herbal tea, you can grow herbs and plants straight from your garden. From chamomile to mint - growing herbs for tea doesn't need to be complicated.

This book will teach you how to plant seeds, leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots of each plant and how to grow them in your garden and how to use them for making herbal infusions.

Review: "Beautifully clear instructions and plenty of information along with the most gorgeous photos."