I’ve done it! I bought my first herbalism resource. It wasn’t easy to be sure. Try googling herbalism. You get websites, books, videos, and all sorts of ads and commercials vying for your attention. Talk about overwhelming. With all these options how do I know which is the best, the most accurate, the safest, the best price? I don’t, but I went for it anyway.

I decided to take the plunge with a book. I love books! You can hold it, sniff it, and read it over and over again. Now which one? I looked to the roulette wheel of Amazon. Their #1 bestseller under “herbalism book” was “Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use” with over 11,000 5-star reviews. And can I just say I am delighted with it.

In chapter 1 “Welcome to the Wonderful World of Medicinal Herbs”, I appreciate her approach of having a time and place for everything. There is a time when herbs may be used and other times when you should go to the doctor’s. Common sense and I agree with it.

Chapter 2 is all about “How to Make Your Own Herbal Remedies”. It covers teas, syrups, oils, salves, tinctures, herbal pills, bath, poultices, and compresses. Who knew you could make so many things from herbs? The chapter also quickly discusses dosages. After reading and rereading this chapter, I feel like there is much more to be learned. This however is a beginner’s book and we’ll see what future resources have to add.

Chapter 3 “9 Familiar Herbs & Spices to Grow and Use” and Chapter 4 “24 Safe & Effective Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use” get into the different herbs.

For each herb, there is a brief introductory paragraph followed by a how to grow and medicinal uses section. A small box also contains “parts used”, “key constituents”, and “safety factor”. Next come the recipes. The best part if you ask me.

I’m going to list below the recipes included with each herb. I couldn’t find this information when researching the book but would’ve loved to know it.

Basil – Basil Poultice. Basil Tea for Headache & Stress. Medicinal Basil Pesto. Holy Basil Tincture. Holy Basil Long-Life Vinegar.

Cayenne – Cold Care Capsules. Creaky Bones Cayenne Rub.

Cinnamon – Cinnamon-Ashwagandha Rejuvenating Milk. Cinnamon-Ginger Tea for Menstrual Difficulties. Cinnamon Honey. Cinnamon Tincture for Stabilizing Blood Sugar. Warming Cinnamon Bath Salts. Cinnamon Spice Chai.

Garlic – Four Thieves Vinegar. Fire Cider. Garlic Herb Oil. Garlic Flower Oil. Garlic Ear Oil.

Ginger – Ginger Lemon-Aide. Ginger Syrup. Hot Ginger Balls. Hot Ginger Poultice.

Rosemary – Rosemary-Lemon Thyme Tea. Brain Tonic Tincture.

Sage – Good Gargle for a Bad Throat. Sage Mouth & Throat Spray. Antioxidant Herb Sprinkle. Sage Pesto.

Thyme – Thyme Syrup. Thyme Honey.

Turmeric – Golden Milk. Golden Turmeric Paste for Skin Infections. Medicinal Curry Blend.

Aloe Vera – Aloe Vera Gel. Healing Aloe Lotion for Poison Oak & Poison Ivy. Aloe-Comfrey Arthritis Gel.

Burdock – Root Beer Tea. Steamed Gobo. Cooling Liver Tincture.

Calendula – Calendula Oil. Calendula Salve. Rosemary’s Famous Face Cream.

Chamomile – Calming Chamomile Tea. Chamomile Eye Packs. Calming Herbal Bath for De-Stressing.

Chickweed – Chickweed Poultice. Chickweed Super-Soothing Salve.

Dandelion – Dandelion-Burdock Tincture for Liver Health. Horta for Liver and Kidney Health. Roasted Dandelion and Chicory Tea. Dandelion Mocha.

Echinacea – Echinacea Spray for Sore Throats. Whole-Plant Echinacea Tincture. Dr. Kloss’s Liniment. “Regular” Echinacea Tincture.

Elder – Nutritive Tonic Berry-Good Tea. Nutritive Heart Tonic Tincture. Gypsy Cold Care Remedy. Urinary Tonic Tea. Elderberry Syrup.

Goldenseal – Goldenseal Salve. Goldenseal Wash for Eye Infections. Goldenseal Clay Paste.

Hawthorn – Heartease Tea. Sprinkles for the Heart. Hawthorn Heart Balls. Whole-Plant Hawthorn Tincture.

Lavender – Lavender Eye Pillow. Lavender Antiseptic and Calming Spritzer. Lavender-Lemon Balm Calming Aid. Lavender-Feverfew Migraine Tincture. Calming Lavender Massage Oil

Lemon Balm – Carmelite Water. Colic Remedy. Lemon Balm Glycerite. Lemon Balm Bath.

Licorice – Gentle Licorice Laxative. Adrenal Tonic Tincture. Licorice-Ginger Balls. Licorice Cough Syrup. Soothing Throat Balls.

Marsh Mallow – Herbal Capsules for Bladder Infection. Marsh Mallow Baby Powder. Urinary Tonic for Bladder Health.

Mullein – Mullein-Red Clover Salve. Mullein Flower Ear Oil. Cough-Be-Gone Tea. Glandular Tonic.

Nettle – Prostate Tonic Tincture. Creaky Bones & Achy Joints High-Calcium Tea. Nettle Pesto. Creamy Nettle-Potato Soup. Pregnancy Tonic Tea.

Oats – Oatmeal Bath for Dry, Chapped Skin. Heart-Healthy Oatmeal. Restorative Oatmeal Porridge.

Peppermint – Rejuvenation Tonic. Headache Tincture. Digestive Aid. Peppermint Tooth Powder.

Plantain – Plantain Poultice. Plantain Power Drink. Plantain Salve.

Red Clover – Red Clover Vitamin Tonic. Menopause Formula. Flower Power Formula for Lymphatic Congestion. Red Clover-Violet Syrup.

St. John’s Wort – St. John’s Wort Oil. St. John’s Wort Salve. St. John’s Wort Liniment. St. John’s Wort Lighten-Up Tea. St. John’s Wort Tincture for SAD.

Spearmint – Iced Spearmint Tea. Fever-Reducing Formula for Children. Children’s Stress Calmer Glycerite. Evening Repose. Sunset in Emerald Valley.

Valerian – Tension-Free Formula. Bronchial Relaxer Formula. Deep-Sleep Tincture.

Yarrow – Yarrow First-Aid Tincture. Styptic Powder. Fever-Reducing Tea. Yarrow Venous Salve. Yarrow Liniment for Varicose Veins.

Shazam!!! That’s a lot of recipes to try.

The book finishes with a resources page. These pages to me are invaluable. Rosemary Gladstar lists herbs and educational resources in her resources page. Going from that page, I decided to order my herbs from her recommendation of Mountain Rose Herbs.

To a beginner like me, I find there to be the right amount of useful information. I don’t feel overwhelmed or bewildered when reading about the herbs. It leaves me excited to experiment with the recipes. I also enjoy her down to earth common sense approach to these herbs. Once I start understanding the basics laid out in this book, I do think I’ll have to move on to more meatier books to expand my knowledge, but I find it perfect for my current novice self.

Now then let’s start experimenting. Which recipe shall I choose first?

-All images and quotes are from “Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide” by Rosemary Gladstar. Copyrighted in 2012 by Storey Publishing.