All Good Things Around Us - written by Pamela Michael and

[PurpleDragon]

... illustrated by Christabel King

I found this book in a thrift shop, and bought it for about 20p. It is now one of the most treasured books I have.

It says on the front "a beautifully illustrated cookbook and guide to the recognition and uses of over 90 wild plants and herbs" and I have to agree.

I am currently eyeing a neighbour's rosehips, that he appears to be leaving on the plant, and if they are still there next time I see him, I shall be asking for them. Here is a list of the uses of roses :

wild rose petal jam;
wild rose petal conserve;
Balmoral flan, with wild rose petal conserve;
syllabub, with wild rose petal conserve;
wild rose petal ice cream;
baked souffle with wild rose petal conserve;
wild rose petal syrup;
wild rose petal sandwiches;
crystallised rose petals;
wild rose petals in ice cubes;
wild white rose petal water;
wild rose petal cold cream;
fresh rose leaf tea;
dried rose leaf tea;
to dry wild rose leaves;
rose hip soup;
a tarte of hips;
a persian sweet made with rose hips;
sauce eglantine;
rose hip syrup (did you know that roses growing in the north of Scotland have 10 times more vitamin C than roses in the south of England?);
rose hip jam;
rose hip and crab apple jelly;
rose hip wine

It has an A-Z of common names, followed by their latin names, and several recipes for each thing.

Agrimony, ash, basil, beech, bergamot, bilberry, blackthorn, oh the list goes on!

The illustrations are superb and make the majority of these plants easily recognisable to an ignoramus such as me.

The book was published in 1980 and the edition I have is Book Club Associates, by arrangmenets with Ernest Benn Limited. There doesn't appear to be an ISBN number, but if you see a copy of this lurking in a bookshop somewhere and are dithering about buy it, then hesitate no longer - you wo't regret your purchase :)