Book Review: Backyard Medicine

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Backyard Medicine, by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal, is an absolutely gorgeous combination of information and full-color photographs.  It's also my go-to book for in-depth info on easy to find (and easy to grow) medicinal herbs.  Backyard Medicine is very readable, and the bulk of the book is made up of a short chapter on each of fifty plants, including photos, description, historical and present-day uses, mythological or folk beliefs about the herb, the authors' personal experience, and instructions for suggested preparations.  There's also a brief how-to for basic preparations (decoctions, herbal honeys, etc) in the beginning of the book.  Backyard Medicine focuses specifically on common wildflowers, like dandelion, mullein, and yarrow, which makes it particularly useful.  A portable trade paperback with lovely paper quality, it's a joy to use and to page through, making plans for the summer.