The Book of Magical Herbs: Herbal History, Mystery, & Folklore
Pretty enough for the coffee table, Margaret Picton's little hardback explores herbal myths and folklore in poems, traditional sayings, quotes, recipes, and ancient herbal manuscripts. Chock-full of brightly colored photos, drawings, and fancy typography,The Book of Magical Herbsdelights the senses. The author has written nine other books on cookery and homemaking and here expounds the virtues of 25 different herbs in as many chapters. Did you know that you could "keep a small sachet of dried lavender against your skin to attract a lover" or that fennel seeds in keyholes will keep malignant forces away? A charming gift for gardeners, cooks, or fans of ancient lore and magic.--P. Randall Cohan