Plant Power: The Humorous Herbalist's Guide to Finding, Growing, Gathering and Using 30 Great Medicinal Herbs

PLANT POWER is your one-stop guide to effectively growing and using thirty great medicinal herbs. Offering first-hand knowledge and years of herbal experience, author Laurel Dewey (aka “The Humorous Herbalist”) leads readers on a step-by-step journey that takes you from your own backyard and into the wild green yonder. Learn when to plant seeds, what time of year is best for harvesting, which parts of the plant are the most medicinally potent, and how to preserve herbs for later use. Discover timesaving secrets on ways to avoid common herb garden mistakes and how to get the most out of your medicinal bounty. As an added bonus, you will learn which herbs can be sliced, diced, and pounded into “wild food” recipes that contain vitamins, minerals, and energy-sustaining protein. Everything you need to become “herbally” self-sufficient is here: * Why would you want to purposely sting yourself with a stinging nettle? * What can alfalfa and red clover do to improve poor garden soil? * When does usnea, a common tree fungus, turn into an incredible anti-viral agent? * Would you believe that pine sap could prevent infections in a wound? * How can “weeds” such as burdock, chickweed, and yellow dock keep you healthy and full of energy? The answers to these and other herbal questions are at your fingertips. So, grab a shovel, get some seeds, and start that medicinal garden. Betty Craven is the epitome of elegance, class, and perfection. Her prize-winning garden is the envy of her neighbors; her impeccable manners and epicurean skills have made her the #147;hostess with the most-est.#8221; But all is not what it seems. The truth is that this fifty-eight year old#8217;s seemingly idyllic world is quickly disintegrating. Widowed and left with a modest income, Betty#8217;s Colorado gourmet chocolate shop has gone belly up, leaving her floundering for purpose and meaning. Tied to a house in disrepair that she can#8217;t sell, and mired in unrelenting grief for her dead son, this patriotic former Texas pageant queen comes to the shocking and debilitating conclusion that her entire life has been wasted. As that realization hits her hard between her well-manicured brow, the rebellious spirit that Betty has silently kept under lock and key, explodes to the surface. When that happens, her staunch conservative world changes drastically, causing Betty to question every belief and opinion she#8217;s ever had. The path she chooses is paved with secrecy, eccentric characters, toe-curling love, life-changing events, and a connection to her unconventional garden that she never could have imagined. No matter how hard she tries, Betty Craven will never be the same again. Author Laurel Dewey #151; known for her gritty crime thriller series featuring Detective Jane Perry #151; has created a dynamic, funny, romantic, heartbreaking and controversial novel that will both enlighten readers and challenge them with its unique and timely subject matter