dorling kindersley books

What first inspired you to learn about herbs? Did you grow up in a family that used plenty of herbs in the kitchen, for example, or did your interest develop later in life?

Herbs have always been part of my life. My childhood memories are filled with the aroma of herbs. My mother not only used herbs prolifically in cooking, she also had a large herb garden; to which she would send me to pick mint, parsley, thyme, tarragon, and chervil. She also taught me from a very early age to make fresh mint sauce. So it was from these early beginnings that my enthusiasm for herbs, cooking and gardening developed

Tell us about writing the book - was it an enjoyable experience?

The great thing about writing a DK book is that right from the start you are part of a team. Robin, Bella and Craig spent a lot of time on the farm taking photographs and designing the book. When the design was finished it was then over to me to write about the plants I love and grow, then back to Bella to tidy my words so that they fitted neatly into Robin's design, which, all in all, contributed to this lovely book

Do you believe it is important to grow herbs organically?

I do believe it is very important to grow plants organically because not only is it better for the environment, it is also beneficial for the plants and in turn us. It is unquestionably better to grow medicinal herbs organically because you are only taking the pure herb not a cocktail of chemicals.

Increasingly, we are looking for alternative methods when it comes to preventative medicine or curing illness. Do you believe that herbs can play an important role in this?

For thousands of years herbs have been used medicinally and for the majority of the worlds population they are still the main method of treatment. Today in the developed countries we are lucky to be able to benefit from the knowledge of our forefathers combined with the science of modern technology. This information allows us to choose alternative methods to treat an illness. The role of herbs is being increasingly rediscovered in our modern world.

Cannabis has been praised for its medicinal properties for conditions such as MS - do you consider it to be of any benefit?

Cannabis (Hemp) is one of many herbs that has been proven to be of benefit to man. Where would we be with out Aspirin, which was derived from Meadowsweet and Willow or Digitalin, which was derived from Foxglove?

Flowers are known for their 'meanings' - for example, red roses for love or chrysanthemums for friendship. Do herbs have similar meanings?

In the language of flowers, here are some meanings for herbs:

Verbena officinalis, Vervain means 'Enchantment'
Hypericum perforatum St John's Wort means 'Superstition'
Myrtus communis means 'Love'
Thymus vulgaris means 'Activity'
Viola tricolor Heartsease means 'Think of Me'

You have won the Chelsea Gold Medal seven times and are widely acclaimed for your expertise on how herbs can enhance your home, health, and garden. Have you always had an instinctive talent, or have you ever accidentally used the 'wrong' herb for anything?

I have never used a herb incorrectly, I am sure this is because my parents had a garden and I was taught from a very early age which plants were good for you and which were not. However I have planted a herb in the wrong place. My first herb garden had a neat clump of comfrey that I used to make a liquid feed. As the farm grew I needed to dig the plant up to produce cutting material, which meant that the roots became disturbed and within a few years my garden was transformed from a diverse pretty herb garden to a border of comfrey. So the moral of this story is never plant comfrey in a border if you need to dig it up or move it.