In A Southern Woman’s Guide To Herbs, Jaclyn Weldon White takes a break from penning stories of murder and mayhem to share her love and knowledge of growing and using herbs, the helpful plants. In a manner as informal as a neighbourly chat, White explores designing herb gardens to suit the reader and gives common sense tips on planting and caring for them.

In later chapters, she concentrates on preserving herbs for year-round use and shares some of her favourite recipes, covering everything from cocktails to desserts. The shrimp and herb pasta for two is perfect for a romantic evening while the lavender cookies with their pastel icing will have the kids begging for more. In addition to using herbs for cooking, White presents a number of the most common medicinal and cosmetic uses for these plants along with a delightful chapter of herbal crafts. There’s even a humorous segment on herbal magic for readers who might want to whip up a quick love potion.

Illustrated with the author’s own photographs, A Southern Woman’s Guide to Herbs will be a book you read and consult over and over again.