"Herbs offers highly local advice on how to grow herbs for your kitchen. . ." —Savour Calgary

In the ninth book in Guides for the Prairie Gardeners series seasoned gardeners Sheryl Normandeau and Janet Melrose take all your questions about growing and enjoying herbs.

If you’ve ever stood in the produce section of the grocery store trying to pick out the least wilty of those little plastic containers of herbs, you’ll understand the appeal of growing your own. In the ninth installment of their prairie gardening series, seasoned (ahem) gardeners Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau answer all your questions about growing these culinary, medicinal, and spiritually beneficial plants, including their potential for use in pest management and as hardy lawn replacements.

Beginning with the where (containers, raised beds, spirals, and more), the pair then provide guidance on choosing healthy plants, how to nurture herb seedlings, soil needs, watering, dealing with aggressive spreaders (hello, mint!), pest prevention, overwintering—including how not to kill that potted rosemary you brought inside for its own darn good—and lots of ideas for storing and enjoying your herbal goodies, from drying and freezing to making tasty infused oils, vinegars, and butters.

The final chapter is a roundup of herbs for all occasions and locations, including the pair’s top choices for insect repellers, butterfly and hummingbird attractors, edible flowers, and ingredients for herbal tisanes.

Introduction

Chapter One: Designing with Herbs

Chapter Two: Planting and Propagating Herbs

Chapter Three: Growing and Cultivating Herbs

Chapter Four: Harvesting and Storing Herbs

Chapter Five: The Things That Bug Our Herbs

Chapter Six: Herbs for All Reasons and Seasons

Acknowledgements

Notes

Sources

Index

About the Authors

About the Series

Praise for The Prairie Gardener’s Go-To for Herbs

"A great resource for gardeners everywhere." —Quill & Quire

"Herbs offers highly local advice on how to grow herbs for your kitchen in our climate." —Savour Calgary

"In a digital world full of general information, their books provide specific knowledge for gardening in climates like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Plus, everything they write about is based on their own experience." —Helpful Gardeners Podcast

Praise for Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau

Honorable Mention at the American Horticultural Society Book Awards

"The Prairie Gardener's Go-To series comes in mighty yet digestible volumes covering popular topics like seeds, vegetables, and soil. . . Although each guide touches on regionally specific information, the wisdom of these seasoned gardeners applies to any garden, wherever it may be." —Acadia Tucker, author of Growing Perennial Foods

"Whether you’re looking for information on that one tiny pest you just can’t control, or are talking a new gardener through their first planting season, these slim but mighty volumes make great companions at the height of summer in the garden trenches and during cold winter days planning the next season.” —Floral Acres Greenhouse & Garden Centre

"From planning to planting to harvesting vegetables such as onions, lettuce, carrots, celery, beets, corn, legumes, peppers, potatoes, squash and more, this Q & A– style guide covers common questions about cultivation practices, preventing damage from frost, flood, and drought, and harvest and storage." —Prairie Books NOW

"The books are a pleasure just to leaf through, but the accessible writing and level of expertise makes them essential to any gardener’s library... Well-indexed, to help you find solutions to elusive problems. Highly recommended!"—Diane Miessler, Certified Permaculture Designer and author of Grow Your Soil

"Reading the Prairie Gardener's Go-To series is like sitting down with your friendly local master gardener. Delivers practice guidance that will leave you feeling confident and inspired." —Andrea Bellamy, author of Small-Space Vegetable Gardens

“The Prairie Gardener’s Go-To series offers knowledgeable yet accessible answers to questions covering a broad range of topics to help you cultivate garden success. Get growing!” —Lorene Edwards Forkner, gardener, writer, author of Color In and Out of the Garden

"The Prairie Gardener guides offer tips on planning, planting and growing gardens, and troubleshooting pests and diseases." —Calgary Herald

"This book provides detailed cultivation, harvesting and storage tips for the vegetables grown in our region." —Western Producer

"Melrose and Normandeau answer all the questions that the two experts could think of when it came to horticulture on the prairies." —Edify Edmonton

"Helping gardeners across the prairies succeed in growing food, flowers and everything in between." —Medicine Hat News

"With advice on which native grasses to use—and why—the book gives gardeners both inspiration and knowledge." —Alberta Views

"This go-to paperback addresses many issues of perennial plants that will prove extremely useful to gardeners." —Calgary Horticultural Society

"Advice on container gardens, raised beds, small plots and postage-stamp sized yards, and how to try your hand at vertical gardening." —Garden Making

“Written with wit and charm, Janet and Sheryl have given us the comprehensive, gardener-friendly guide to soil science everyone who grows a garden needs to read.” —Daryl Beyers, gardening instructor and author of The New Gardener’s Handbook