The Essential Herbal - May/June 2008

The next issue is starting to reach subscribers, so it's about time I get it posted! If you aren't familiar with The Essential Herbal, click on the link on the sidebar to download a free issue from last year. It will give you a good idea of what we do around here.
The new issue was such a pleasure to put together. It's always so much fun to see what comes in, but the spring issues are so exciting! Additionally, I got to interview my friends at The Rosemary House to celebrate their 40 YEARS in business.
It started as just an easy idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how instrumental the Repperts are and have been to the herb community as a whole. It was a great honor to include this interview, just as it has been an honor to consider Susanna and Nancy friends along with the entire Reppert/Brill clan.
Their mother was Bertha Reppert, a strong and energetic woman with the ability to impress an enormous group of people to embrace herbs and to share that love of plants. She influenced people all over the world, and in my part of the world she influenced how herb businesses interact. The PA herb businesses that have become old friends are open with their knowledge, sharing, and helpful towards each other. That was Bertha's doing, and her daughters continue that attitude. We are very lucky to have that here, and I expect that it reaches far beyond my scope of friends. If you haven't come across Bertha's books, you are missing a treat! Visit The Rosemary House on-line and take a gander.

But of course, that's not all... Here's the table of contents for the newest issue:

Wordfind Puzzle - Into the Garden
Field Notes from the Editor
Suburban Herbie - The New Garden, Geri Burgert
All in the Family - 40 Years in Herbs, Tina Sams
Healthy Garlic, Joe Smulevitz
Down on the Farm - Springing into the Growing Season, Michele Brown & Pat Stewart
List Article - First Herbal Experience
SouthRidge Treasures - Brightening Foods with Edible Flowers, Mary Ellen Wilcox
The Soap Pot - Lemon & Mint Soaps, Alicia Grosso
Getting Ready for Summer, Herbal First Aid & Travel Kit, Betsy May
Much Ado About Nothings, Sue-Ryn Burns
Never Enough Thyme - The Herb of Angels, Susanna Reppert Brill
With Seeds of Intention, Marita A. Orr
Louisiana Lagniappe - Microwave Lemon Curd, Sarah Liberta
Al Fresco Dining - Sensational Summer Salads, Susan Evans
Nettles, Kristena Roder

See? Lots of really great stuff! And yes, we did have to add 4 pages again. Someday I'll get a grip on how to whittle it down to the regular (hah!) 32 pages again.