Today our constant search for new foods, new medicines, and new ways to improve our lives is ongoing and contagious. It is in all of us! This unique book speaks to that quest, and now is the time to share it. It represents the culmination of my work in the world of herbs, which has shaped my life like no other force.
In one sense there is nothing ‘new’ about the herbs I have written about here. The origins of each plant are recorded in the early herbal writings and pharmacopoeias of the world, and every one of these precious plants holds its place in history, in traditional ceremonies, and in ancient scriptures.
What is new, however, is the use to which we can put them. Some of these uses will be familiar to you and some will be astonishing! I am so inspired to share the ‘new’ facts and applications with you, the reader, and have been putting my experiments into useable recipes and remedies for a long time.
All of these plants are easy to grow, but some of the big trees with exciting medicinal uses will be too large for the average town garden. I have therefore encouraged farmers, landowners and landscapers to find places for them, as we need to learn how valuable they are, and will become in the decades ahead. My own plantings have supported this.
Today antibiotics are losing their potency, and there are medical shortages in parts of the world and complex new laws surrounding pharmaceuticals. In light of this, making our own simple herb teas and gentle herbal remedies could become paramount in building health, the way these same plants have been used for centuries.
Nothing is new in the world of plants, but often uses have been rediscovered that have been lost with the passing of time. This rediscovery has formed a huge part of my life’s work.
I am thrilled to have grown virtually every one of the treasured plants in this book, and to have established, used, and learned from them. I know each plant intimately, and use each plant frequently. Propagation of these herbs in our nursery has become an all-embracing dedication.
To my mind, these 100 plants are the most valuable plants I have been able to find, grow and use to add to my long-established herb gardens, and I encourage you, the reader, to find a space where you can grow them, for each plant has the remarkable power to heal, uplift, restore and satisfy, each one in the beneficial way nature intended.
Margaret Roberts
The Herbal Centre
De Wildt
North West Province
South Africa