Book Review: How to Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants

Here’s my favorite new gardening book: How to Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants by Deb Soule, (Rockport, Maine: Under the Willow Press, 2013) is a delightful, insightful and inspiring read.

At the moment , I have a plethora of new books awaiting my perusal . However , there is one in the pile that has called out to me to be understand before all of the others . really the very twenty-four hour period that I purchased the latest book from Deb Soule , she enroll it for me , and I took it back to my room and began reading it that evening .

How to Move Like a Gardener : Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plantsby Deb Soule , ( Rockport , Maine : Under the Willow Press , 2013 ) is a delightful , insightful and inspiring read . Infused with verse and quotes , not to cite sensational garden picture taking , this sensitive and thought - provoking Quran render a rich and worshipful admiration for all living things .

Deb Soule is founder of Avena Botanicals in Rockport , Maine and has been develop fine medicinal plants and creating excellent herbal products for over 25 years . She is a nurseryman , herbalist , medicament maker , photographer , instructor , author and great observer of nature . In her record , Deb combines all of these life experiences with a balance of sensibility , practicality and spirituality:“Become attentive to using all your senses when in the garden . Always keep the health of the territory in your awareness . And remember that as you cultivate the garden , the garden is naturalize you , both inwardly and externally . Gardeners are determine , pruned , and inform by the garden , mo by moment , mean solar day by day , calendar month by calendar month , year by year . ”

This Word move me profoundly . I must let in that I had to get out my highlighter as I perused the pageboy and I used it often , as I understand and reread Deb ’s words . In her description of how she fare to gardening , she says“Like many gardeners , I fell in beloved with the tasks and forbearance expect - planting seeds , waiting , watching , tearing , listening , beg . ”

Deb ’s descriptions of everything she does – from preparing the ground , practicing her biodynamic gardening method , cultivate herbaceous plant plant from sowing semen , sprouting , transplanting and run to harvesting , dry out and tincturing – are thoughtful and thorough . Part of the charm of this Holy Writ , is how she can step aside and observe nature , demand us along with her , as she delights in just stopping to enjoy a import , whether it is a young verdant green bud or curling tendril , the speech sound of a birdsong , the flight of a pollinator or the aroma of an herbaceous plant .

Deb does hard British Labour Party and retentive time of day , all the while observing the garden and the processes with fear and joy . “The garden extend to teach me how to show up , and be present , whatever the inner and outside weather may be . It ’s a place where gratitude hold out . ”

The castanets of this al-Qur’an are divided into five sections . “ A Gardener ’s Notebook ” lead off with the most basic and treasured element , the dirt , and also discusses in particular compost , tools and baskets , pollinator , our ancestors , gratitude , industrial plant and prayer .

Part II is all about “ Biodynamics : Agriculture in Service of the Earth and Humanity ” . In this fascinating and information - packed discussion section , Deb tell us the how , who and why of biodynamic horticulture and how she practices it day by day , following nature ’s rhythms in the Avena gardens . She give cleared and precise explanations and instruction of her biodynamic methods without being preachy . Many of us gardeners practice gardening by the moonlight , which Deb describes along with lunar and seasonal rhythms .

In “ survive in Harmony with the season ” , there are five seasons included with ‘ late summertime ’ being the fifth one . Each time of year is discussed , with brainstorm from Deb ’s years of experience and reflection , highlighting the particular property , and list the foods and herb which hold us during these times .

Part IV features “ Energetic and Elemental Associations of Plant Parts ” . I thoroughly enjoyed this segment wherein Deb discusses the works parts in detail : roots , leaves , flowers , fruit and semen . She steer us through the elements , energetics and the zodiac signboard represent by each plant part . The photos in this section handsomely illustrate the plant life percentage .

Last yet not least , is Deb’sMateria Medica , which demonstrates her knowledge and familiarity of these medicinal herbs and why she uses them . Her approach here is singular in that she divides them into the categories of industrial plant component , which I receive was cunning as well as virtual . Although , I have studied many of these plant for years , I learned dozens and used my highlighter especially here . She inspired me to embark on using some of these herbs , which I have n’t used in for a while , the right way away .

close pages control a glossary , seed and plant generator and imagination . This book is a beautiful publishing . I am captivated by Deb ’s ability to share her spirit ’s body of work - her attainment , experience , and observations in such a caring and mindful way - and this she reach this with free grace and flair inHow to Move Like a Gardener .

Get this book of account from : www.avenabotanicals.com , where you may also watch Deb ’s hebdomadal garden video .

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Cover ofHow to Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plantsby Deb Soule, Under the Willow Press, 2013.Photo/Illustration: Mary Crowley

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