Hello everyone

Just to let you know that this coming weekend the growing herbs guide I wrote for the Guardian/Observer will be in their free weekend guide to Growing Your Own. Below is the information the Guardian sent me to add to the forum/website. The herb guide is in the Sunday guide free with the Observer.

Debs

"Don't miss the Guardian and Observer's indispensable (and totally organic) guide to Growing Your Own, free this weekend (April 5 & 6). In part one, the Guardian's gardening gurus will help you decide what vegetables to grow where and help you care for your patch, followed by details of how to sow, cultivate and harvest more than 50 varieties of vegetables, from spuds to scorzonera.
Part two, free with The Observer, contains all you need to know about growing your own salad, herbs and fruit. Both guides come with irresistible recipe ideas and pull-out year planners, helping you harvest delicious, home-grown food all year round."

Just read Debs article on growing herbs in the Observer supplement and it is really good. I like the easy to read format and thought the "benefits and problems" part was very good .Its convenient size booklet means it is easy to fit on the bookshelf and is well worth keeping for future reference.

It`s a real shame that they didn`t give Debs a mention by name and I was also surprised that they listed The Herb Society under" Growing Communities" and not either " Websites or Forums".

Linda

Hi Debs,
I managed to get Saturday's booklet, and got up early Sunday, trundled up to the shops in the falling snow, and guess what? No Sunday Observer/Gaurdian. I was gutted, I went to some of the stores today to see if they had yesterday's paper, but they always send them back, so I am sorry, I would love to have a copy. I am sure it was good, I even went on the internet hoping they would have it online paper, but no, they only have Saturday's version so far.
Never mind, you have all my support anyway.
Just pricked out all my parsley, catmint and calendula, hope they make it. The hyssop is hanging in there too, so now, if the slugs do not make a meal of them, hopefully I will have a lovely herb garden soon.
Jane

Hi Jane

I have a spare copy if you want one? Email me your address and I'll pop it in the post. I was rather disappointed that they didn't put my name on what I wrote given that it made up a large part of the herb section, but not much that can be done about it now. Still at least it got the Herb Society in the directory at the back of Sunday's guide, even though they put the old url instead of the new. Linda I to thought that where the listed us seemed odd, at least they didn't forget to mention the HS at all

Debs

I've just been told (didn't notice it before) that my name does get mentioned on page 3 of Sunday's guide in the writers section, its in tiny print, but it's there

Debs
[Edited to add image of the text.]

Thank you Debs, you are very kind. I would love a copy.
I will email my addres shortly.
It is a shame your name is in tiny print. Your efforts aren't tiny though!
Is sue Stickland the same lady who wrote a book, "The Organis Her Garden" From pots on patios to larger layoutsI have a 1986 edition I found on the internet.
Jane

Sorry, the book is "The Organic Herb Garden" My typing is terrible. Apologies.

Hi Debs
I was in Africa when this paper came out, but I'd asked a friend to buy it for me so that I could read it when I got back. But when she gave me the paper on Sunday, there was no supplement. She said she'd read the paper from cover to cover and hadn't found any mention of herbs - no wonder!

So I was just wondering whether what you wrote is avaiable on line anywhere!

I also missed the TV prog on Sunday - is that available to see via iplayer I wonder?

Best wishes to all
Sue

Hi Sue

I can scan the article and post or email it to you if you like? It is on iPlayer, but as of the 29th April it says it only has 9 days left.

Debs

Hi Sue

Glad to see you back from Africa! Can you let us know how your organic gardening project in Uganda is progressing? Have your church people taken to herbs in any way?

Best wishes

Sarah

Debs, yes, I'd be very grateful if you could email me the Observer stuff please. And I will try to watch the iPlayer thing before it disappears.

Sarah - thanks for asking about the organic farming. Not sure how much I've told you. I went on a fortnight's course last Aug/Sept in Uganda, run by Kasenge Riverford (named after Riverford Organics in Devon), with whom we were put in touch by Send a Cow in Bath. We sent reps from a number of our churches in Uganda on the course, and I went too cus I knew nothing about organic farming. The course was very good, and I've since typed up all of the notes I took during the course, included lots of photos, and had it all printed, so that we can give these notes out to the church members to jog their memories. The idea being, of course, that they would go back and teach the rest of their church and their communities. We have just got back from Uganda, and everyone is still buzzing about it all, very keen to get started. A lot of training has gone on, and we did in fact see one church member's "garden" which has been transformed by his being able to put in to practice what he learned. We supplied all the churches with funds to start up - so they could buy all the tools they needed, and also seedlings etc etc.

As far as herbs go, I'm still very much at the start of my learning curve. Herbs are definitely in use in Uganda - I had worries that they may be associated with witchcraft and therefore not accepted. But they are widely used - in fact I heard a story this time about a friend of ours who had what I think was piles (but I can't be sure!). He couldn't afford any medication, and what he could didn't do any good. In the end his mother brought him some local herbs which he made a tea of and sat in. And it was that which relieved him of the pain. Needless to say he has no idea what the herbs were! However, I was sold a book in Uganda last Sept which gives details of many of the Ugandan herbs which I'm sure will prove to be very useful. Life just seems to be too hectic to get down to this herb course I'm supposed to be doing, but reading this forum always gives me the inspiration I need!!

Anyway, I had better go and get ready for work!
Thanks for everything
Best wishes
Sue

I just started a herb garden (medical) and for cooking and ran across your society. After reading all the comments and concerns I then knew that Deb is the lady to talk to about herb life. I live in the United States in a small city of Cleveland , Ohio and love gardening . I have been growing flowers for over fifteen years and decided to move over to the herb society. Please respond back with any information that would help me on my herb life. I would love to join the herb Society.

Hello Idell

I apologise for not replying sooner, its been a busy weekend helping to get things ready for Gardeners World later this week. nice to know you think I'm the person to ask about herb growing, but there are lots of knowledgeable people on the forum who will help. I'm always happy to help, but I'm in by no means an expert, but if I don't know the answer, I'm more than happy to try and find it! Being a self confessed herbaholic I embrass any and every opportunity to learn anything new about herbs. A good starting point would be Jekka McVicar's "Jekka's Complete Herb Book" which as well as listing lots of information about individual herbs and thinsg you can do with them, it shows you how to start a herb garden and talks you through cultivation tips, designing a herb garden and lots more besides. In the UK we have a new revised edition ISBN-10: 1856267415, but it doesn't seem to be out stateside according to amazon.com although you may be able to find it?

If you'd like to join the society the details can be found on our Join Us page http://www.herbsociety.org.uk/join-us.htm if I can be of any further help, or you have any further questions feel free to post them and myself or one of the other friendly forum users will answer your question.

Debs