The Rural Voice, 2002-02, Page 36Book Review
Culinary Herbs for Short -Season Gardeners
Reviewed by Rhea Hamilton Seeger
I have become a bit of a Canadian
chauvinist when it comes to
gardening books.
When I was first starting out
buying gardening books I would,grab
up anything that came my way. Exp-
erience has taught me that the best
books for gardening here in Ontario
are of course written for us by Cana-
dian gardeners. While most of us
enjoy gardening books with panor-
amic scenes of grand English gardens
carefully sheltered by stone walls or
of lush California gardens, it is the
resource of good Canadian material
that helps me successfully garden.
Culinary Herbs for Short Season
Gardeners by Ernest Small and
Grace Deutsch is one book that
should be on your shelf whether you
are growing herbs for eating or just
plain enjoyment.
I always like to know first if the
book is applicable to our climate.
The authors have not only included a
plant hardiness zone map but have
also included notes on how to
interpret it.
Okay so what is this about a short
growing season? Grace Deutsch
grew up in semi -tropical Australia so
the growing season
of her new home of
southern Ontario
was exceedingly
short and the
winters just too
cold by
comparison. She
loves growing
herbs and is always
amazed at how
these plants that are native to
southern regions still thrive in our
climate. The fact that she is still
gardening in Ontario after 30 years
shows that she is successful in her
garden and a wee bit stubborn.
Dr. Small grew up in the Ottawa
Valley, fell in love with botany and is
now an authority on agriculturally
important plants. Among his many
accomplishments was one that caught
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32 THE RURAL VOICE
my eye — he has written over 200
scientific publications. That means
he knows his stuff and uses adjectives
sparingly.
The book itself is beautifully laid
out with a practical format. Of
course the first topic is how to extend
your season both with an early
start for some of your herbs or help-
ing your plants survive cooler
temperatures. There are lots of tips to
help gardeners understand the diff-
erence between full sun and full
sun/partial shade, what is cold air
drainage, benefits of raised beds,
floating row covers and cloches and
offering a basic common sense
approach to starting seeds indoors
and giving them the extra care they
need when planted outside to help
them flourish.
The bulk of the book features over
100 cultivars of herbs, each with its
own description, cultivation and
harvesting notes, medicinal
information and craft uses. One of
the appealing features of this book is
the use of 18th and 19th century
botanical illustrations that the average
person never gets to enjoy. While
there is some sparing use of modern
artwork and photography throughout
the book, the wonderful coloured
sketches are a visual feast.
The language is clear, concise and
with the addition of historical
snippets it all makes for a good read.
With most garden books I jump
around looking for plants and
information.
Dr. Small and Ms. Deutsch have.
provided not only a practical guide to
growing herbs but specific tips for
harvesting and using your plants.
They touch on the medicinal
properties and I was relieved to note
they included cautionary notes. I
worry that some people take the idea
of using herbs to heal themselves too
far and endanger themselves or their
family with misuse of simple herbs.
I picked up a lot of great ideas and
can hardly wait to add hyssop and a
few other new plants to my garden.
Now where is my seed catalogues?0
Culinary Herbs for Short -Season
Gardeners by Ernest Small and
Grace Deutsch, NRC Research Press
& Ismant Peony Press, $24.95.