Your Indoor Herb Garden , livre ebook

Praise for Your Indoor Herb Garden
This was a fantastic read! From the very first chapter - Welcome to My World - I was intrigued and drawn to a subject that I d mistakenly taken for granted all my life. D. J. gives herbs their rightful place center stage, clearly explaining their health and wellness benefits. Once I had learned why to grow herbs, D. J. then took me through a step by step guide on how to grow and use them. As a behavioral science expert, I ve spent 30 years advising and altering people s behavior. Helping big brands make their brands all that more appealing by tapping into the psychology of consumers. Your Indoor Herb Garden has given me a complete new set of tools with which to alter the moods of consumers, and myself. Anyone interested in human health and wellbeing should get hold of this book immediately. It s frankly brilliant. And there was me thinking herbs were just herbs.
PHILLIP ADCOCK commercial psychologist, author, Master Your Brain
A fascinating, beautifully-illustrated guide to growing and using herbs to enhance your life, from ancient supernatural rituals to present-day cooking and medicinal purposes.
JANET KAY author, The Sisters
I know the importance of good health. I have been trained in the healthcare industry, and I am challenged with an incurable bone marrow cancer that I am pursuing with unconventional protocols. I have refused chemotherapy and have outlived my original prognosis by nearly two years, so I know the importance of herbs for health and cooking. What a treasure trove D. J. Herda has put together in this beautiful and easy-to-understand book. From the history of herbs to their medicinal value and the ins and outs of using them. Great stuff. Dig in!
DR. AL DANENBERG periodontist, certified functional medicine practitioner, certified primal health coach
A great book! D.J. Herda s Your Indoor Herb Garden is a fun read that s both inspiring and educational. I never considered an indoor herb garden before, but it makes sense physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His book is a welcome resource and a captivating read that had me from the start: Herbs make great indoor additions to the human domicile. And when I say inspiring , I mean it. As soon as I finished the book, I drove straight to the nursery and bought a batch of seeds and had to send D.J. the photos to prove it! So excited to start my indoor garden!
SHERYLE BAUER indoor gardener, author, The Devil in the Deal
Your INDOOR HERB GARDEN

GROWING AND HARVESTING HERBS AT HOME
DJ HERDA
Copyright 2020 by DJ Herda
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
Cover image: iStock
Printed in Canada. First printing April 2020.
This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Your Indoor Herb Garden should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com
Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
(250) 247-9737
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Title: Your indoor herb garden : growing and harvesting herbs at home / DJ Herda.
Names: Herda, D. J., 1948- author.
Description: Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20190227486 | Canadiana (ebook) 20190227494 | ISBN 9780865719330 (softcover) | ISBN 9781550927269 ( PDF ) | ISBN 9781771423229 ( EPUB )
Subjects: LCSH : Herb gardening. | LCSH : Indoor gardening. | LCSH : Herbs. | LCSH : Herbs Therapeutic use.
Classification: LCC SB 351.H5 H47 2020 | DDC 635/.7 dc23

New Society Publishers mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.
Y OU D LIKE TO be self-sufficient, but the space you have available is tighter than your budget. If this sounds familiar, the Homegrown City Life Series was created just for you! Our authors bring country living to the city with big ideas for small spaces. Topics include cheesemaking, fermenting, gardening, composting and, more-everything you need to create your own homegrown city life!
The Food Lover s Garden: Growing, Cooking and Eating Well by Jenni Blackmore
The Art of Plant-Based Cheesemaking, revised updated 2nd edition: How to Craft Real, Cultured, Non-Dairy Cheese by Karen McAthy

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Pure Charcuterie: The Craft and Poetry of Curing Meats at Home by Meredith Leigh

DIY Kombucha by Andrea Potter
DIY Autoflowering Cannabis by Jeff Lowenfels

DIY Mushroom Cultivation by Willoughby Arevalo
The Elderberry Book by John Moody
DIY Sourdough by John and Jessica Moody

#Homegrowncitylife
CONTENTS
1 WELCOME TO MY WORLD
An introduction explaining why herbs are an essential part of my life-and why they should be in yours, as well.
2 HERBAL LIFE AND LORE
From 5000 BC to the present-a fascinating historical look into the background of herbs.
3 FROM MAGIC TO MEDICINE
Herbal medicine, how it began, and where it is in modern society.
4 GROWING AND HARVESTING HERBS INDOORS
A general introduction into how-to do it, equipment required, best soil types, feeding, etc.
5 USING HERBS AT HOME
Employing the use of herbs in cooking, bouquet garni, fines herbes, herb vinegar, drying, health foods, etc.
6 AN ANNOTATED GLOSSARY OF HERBS
Most important herbs, historical references, most common uses, growing tips, cautions, and other useful information.
ENDNOTES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

A pot filled with herbs like this oregano can work wonders for any room in your home. PIXABAY
1
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
H ERBS. DOZENS OF them. Thousands. Millions. Trillions! Well, maybe not that many. Still, they dominate the landscape in all four corners of the world. They adapt to the harshest climates and the most grueling conditions. They generate life-giving oxygen and remove deadly carbon dioxide from the atmosphere around us. They provide culinary treats and natural cures for diseases. They soften the skin and lessen the debilitation of old age. They fight cancer and can reduce a family s medical expenses. Some even produce beautiful, edible flowers!
But why on earth would anyone want to grow herbs indoors ? They are, after all, the outdoor darlings of the plant world. They need sunlight and room-lots of room. They re difficult to grow under the best of conditions. And they re nearly impossible to keep healthy.
Aren t they?
Actually, herbs make great indoor additions to the human domicile. They are masters of environmental cleansing, which is extraordinarily good news since studies show that the most polluted air we breathe comes from inside our homes and not out. They grow well at home and at work under a wide variety of conditions. And recent studies have proven that potted plants improve your home and work environments by reducing your blood pressure, improving your attention span and productivity, lowering your anxiety levels, 1 and lessening your chances for stroke, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and cancer.
Other research has demonstrated that working around plants-including herbs-leads to a higher degree of accuracy and better results in workplace performance. People exposed to the sensory-tickling properties of herbs actually enjoy 20 percent greater memory retention and improved ability to concentrate.
While most plants are adept at removing some pollution from our indoor air, scientists have discovered several that are better at removing volatile organic chemicals, or VOCs, than others. NASA was the first to prove that specific plants are useful in reducing pollution in sealed environments-such as a space capsule or the space station-by as much as 87 percent. Since then, numerous university and horticultural tech study groups have pinpointed the fantastically diverse effects of herbs on our lives.
For purposes of cleansing your indoor environment, NASA researchers suggest you use at least one potted plant per 100 square feet of home or office space for maximum air-purifying effect. That distills down to two large plants or several smaller ones for a spacious area such as a family room or a master bedroom en-suite. Some taller herbs and many wanderers can indeed take up a lot of space, but they don t have to. Many species are compact enough for a small-to-medium-sized pot, and numerous herbs enjoy being planted together in a single pot-either with other herbs or with your non-herbaceous houseplants such as Ficus benjamina or Schefflera. That makes herbs ideal companion plants in foyers, stairwells, homes with open floorplans, near windows, and beneath skylights.
And when it comes time for moving your herbs around (to give them more light in winter, for example), even the most substantial planted containers are a cinch to transport if you put them on rolling trivets. Placed beneath even a monster of a container, trivets make relocating plants simple.
How do I know? I ve been growing herbs indoors for the better part of four decades. I wouldn t dream of living anyw