Dig into the world of herbal medicine with this complete guide to cultivating and harvesting plants with healing properties. For thousands of years, people have been utilizing herbs and cultivating weeds found to speed the healing of wounds, soothe skin irritations, calm uneasy stomachs, and ward off illnesses. In these pages, you'll learn the basics of gardening in your backyard--or on your windowsill or porch--including instructions for: Garden design Composting Garden maintenance Harvesting Recipes for salves, lotions, and poultices And more! You'll also find profiles of useful herbs that are easy to grow or wildcraft, along with inspiring stories, medicine-making instructions, and recipes for your home medicine chest. Known to boost immunity, reduce blood pressure, aid digestion, and relieve arthritis among other medicinal properties, powerful plants such as garlic, Echinacea, yarrow, elderflower, mint, elecampane, and many more are included in this illustrated guide.