A Special Book For Plant Enthusiasts...
- Linda Crider
- May 12
- 3 min read
What do you call someone who has an obsessive love for both plants and books? A "botanical-bibliophile"? A biblio-phytophile"? Whatever label you give this category, I'm sure my name is at the top of the list!
So, I'd like to share this latest addition to an overloaded bookshelf. The Generosity of Plants was recently published by one of my all time favorite
herbalists. Rosemary Gladstar is a revered medicine woman considered by many in the herb community to be "the godmother of modern herbalism." She has written quite a few books on the subject that have educated and encouraged budding as well as practicing herbalists, but this one has a distinctive quality. It is not meant as a reference or guide book, but instead includes the author's favorite plant related quotations that she has gathered over the years along with snippets of herbal wisdom and impressive visuals.
As you might guess, she had me at the title, but Goodreads sums it up well by describing the book as"gorgeous and soul-nourishing."
Rosemary dedicated this book to her maternal grandmother, a survivor of the Armenian genocide who credited her knowledge of plants to be among the gifts that helped save her life. Many of the quotes and reflections are from herbalists and plant people that the author has read, known and worked with during her personal fifty year plant medicine journey. The passages are varied; some are inspirational while others are informative, and different ones will resonate with different readers.
You'll find selections from mystics, environmentalists, gardeners, shamans and artists, as well as excerpts of practical advice from contemporary clinical herbalists that are familiar to me like David Hoffmann, Chanchal Cabrera, and Christopher Hobbs.
I'm partial to the brief, clever insights such as the one from herbalist/author Stephen Harrod Buhner that reads almost like a haiku poem:
Invasive plants:
Earth's way of
insisting we notice
her medicine
She also includes wise observations as in the following caution from the thirteenth century Persian poet Rumi:
And don't think the
garden loses its ecstasy
in winter. It's quiet,
but the roots are down there,
riotous
I could go on, and if I was pressed to choose a favorite, it would be difficult. I suppose it has to be a toss up between one of several quotes from esteemed herbalist Cascade Anderson Geller:
We miss a lot from reading the papers that are made from the trees instead of reading the trees themselves.
and this amusing but significant comment from wise woman Susun Weed:
I am excited to See MD's becoming comfortable with herbs, but what really thrills me is seeing three year olds putting plants on boo-boos. That is the revolution.
Yes, I surely could go on, but you'll just have to get a copy for yourself. BTW, I have no affiliation with and don't get any kickbacks from the publisher, but here's one of many links where you can purchase this book if you're interested. You'll also find a few insider peeks here that just might tease you into pushing the "add to cart" button:
I know that some prefer the convenience and space saving method of gathering their reading material in the form of online books or Kindles, but if and when this book becomes available in either of those formats, its uniqueness would be sadly lost. I wouldn't even hope for a softcover version because The Generosity of Plants feels more like a collector's item. Despite its relatively compact size, this is one of those books that might be called a "coffee table" volume. You could easily finish it in one sitting, but it also invites the reader to pick it up at random and leisurely thumb through the pages while relaxing in a comfy chair with a cup of tea...preferably the herbal kind!
As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. I welcome your input, so if you want to submit a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here:
You can also contact me via email at: my.plant.allies@gmail.com
For now, here's wishing you wellness, wisdom and bloomin' vibes!
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