Growing Plant Medicine, Volume One

by Richo Cech, illustrated by Sena Cech, 354 pages, 8x10, softcover. Every spring, for inspiration and practical reminders for the new growing season, I’ve reread Richo Cech’s older The Medicinal Herb Grower, which covers principles of natural gardening techniques, infused with wisdom and stories from his decades of direct experience growing wild-type plants for medicine and for seed. This new volume is the long-awaited expanded version, combining the earlier book with a new section covering specifics on more than 150 individual herbs, including growth considerations, seed germination, harvest and use, native distribution and more. The herbs covered in this book are listed alphabetically by plant family, from Acanthus to Hemp, leaving room for a forthcoming Volume Two. There is also a new section on garden planning and design, with sample designs included. For anyone growing medicinals and wild-type plants, this is a must-have. -RS