Member Reviews
Very thorough and informative, and there were lots of interesting recipes with flavor profiles that I never would have thought to try!
The Lavender Companion provides an in-depth look at one of nature's beloved herbs. Author Terry Barlin Vesci and owner of Pine Creek Lavender Farm in Arizona gives readers an up-close-and-personal look at everything lavender -- from listing and photographing the different varieties, to growing techniques, to how to use lavender for body products and crafts.
Vesci also provides numerous recipes using lavender, which, to me, is an added bonus to this book. The Lavender Companion is THE book to read for lavender lovers.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Storey Publishing for providing this electronic ARC of #LavenderCompanion.
The Lavender companion - Terry Barlin Vesci
What a gem of a book! I absolutely love Lavender, it’s one of my favourite scents and has been since I was a kid picking it and putting it in my pockets to make them smell nice.
In this book it’s explained how to grow, harvest and use lavender all in one place. I’ve learnt a few things and will take some pointers into my own lavender growing. I look forward to making many lavender based projects and recipes. 💕
I really enjoyed how gorgeous the photos in this book were and all the various recipes. I’m more apt to use lavender for other purposes than cooking so I enjoyed those a bit more.
I absolutely love lavender and growing it, so I was so excited to receive this book! There was so much information in this book - from growing lavender to using it in cooking to everyday health benefits. Would definitely recommend if you love anything to do with lavender.
I will say, there were parts in the books where I think the formatting between the words and pictures could be. There was a small section where the words were yellow and I couldn’t read them. Hopefully this will be fixed/changed before officially being published!
A necessary addition to the Lavender Lover's Library.
As an herbalist and a lover of lavender, I adored this companion.
The recipes were plentiful, easy, and informative. I never felt confused reading them and there was the right amount of guided "hand holding" for them. I'm particularly excited about using lavender in the kitchen with vinegars, oils, and baking.
This book also gave me the boost I needed to try and grow lavender again (after 3 failed attempts).
A fantastic read and I highly recommend it for any herbalist or anyone who loves lavender and wants more of it in their lives.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I love lavender and I haven't found a book like it yet. Not only is the execution beautiful, but I also feel it is complete in terms of content. It is not only about the diverse uses of lavender, but also presents the many varieties of lavender, which one is more appropriate to use (e.g. lace, essential oil, soap, etc.), and also discusses in detail the planting, growing, harvesting, and drying of lavender. I think it's a great piece of literature and a filling volume (from my shelf anyway).
I adore the scent of lavender; it is such an evocative smell which reminds me of summer, so I was interested when I saw this book.
I’ve planted a border full of various lavenders in my garden but other than smelling them & enjoying watching insects buzz amongst the purple blooms I have never really done anything with it. This book, with its informative & easy to follow ‘recipes’ has given me so many ideas of how to use lavender in a variety of ways. I will definitely be trying several of them out and have been influenced to also make some items to gift to friends & family.
I really enjoyed the simplicity of this. I’m a big fan of lavender, in pretty much everything. I love it in drinks, scents, flower form. I really enjoyed the way the author brought that love out and showed us the tons of ways to incorporate it.
Thank you Storey Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.
The Lavender companion is a well rounded guide to all things lavender. Terri Vesci and her husband Rick began a lavender farm in Pine, Arizona back in 2015. They have since grown to include a Lavender Cooking & Baking school, a popular farm store and an online retail shop. I would say they are a pretty reputable source.
This book covers everything from how many types of Lavender there are, its uses (body care, culinary, etc), how to plant, harvest, prune and of course how to use it. There are several wonderful recipes such as Lavender: honey, face wash, sanitizing spray, bath bombs, sugar scrubs, simple syrup, chocolate cake, Vinegar and oils. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Lavender.
Often a book that tries to be a cookbook and also incorporate advice and information beyond recipes only succeeds in padding out the page count, but not really delivering solid, usable information. That's NOT the case with The Lavender Companion, which succeeds beautifully on all levels, thanks to the experience and knowledge of author Terry Barlin Vesci. She and her husband run Pine Creek Lavender Farm in Arizona, as well as a farm store that sells their own homemade lavender goods, and a cooking school that teaches how to cook with lavender. Their website (pinelavenderfarm.com) is lovely and informative, and I do hope you go browse it soon.
For decades I've grown a lavender or two, just as landscaping highlights, but I never really took the time to understand it and get the most out of my plants. But I'm also an amateur herbologist, I love foraging, and cooking everything possible from scratch. I think you can see why I fell in love with The Lavender Companion just a few pages in. The book is broken into four parts: Learn About Lavender, Layering Lavender into Your Life, In the Kitchen and On the Table, and Planting, Harvesting, and Drying Lavender.
I recommend reading Learn About Lavender before jumping into any of the recipes. I had no idea there were so many types, each with their own special qualities. This section will help you choose what lavender you want to cook with.
Layering Lavender into Your Life looks like so much fun! I want to start making some of the featured products for my own use. I get such satisfaction out of making usable goods with my own hands.
And of course, there's the recipes. And they aren't just for fussy little desserts or teas. There's a Tuscan Stew full of short ribs and all sorts of delightful ingredients. With winter just around the corner, I'll enjoy making that. Sticky Lavender Honey Chicken sounds intriguing, too.
By the time you get to Planting, Harvesting, and Drying Lavender, you should have a good idea of what sort of lavender you'd like to grow. I know I'll be changing things up in my own flower gardens come spring.
Terry Barlin Vesci gives credit to her co-author Jessica Dunham, as being the true wordsmith throughout this book. While we may be tempted to give Terry full credit due to her lavender business being featured throughout, we should never forget the quiet heroes that are often the reason a book tips the balance from 'good' to 'excellent'.
I'm tempted to buy myself two copies: one for the cookbook shelf, and one for the gardening shelf. Wait... I may need a third copy for my art shelf. The photography alone is worth the price of admission. It's beautifully composed and soothing to look at.
My thanks to authors Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Dunham, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Oh wow! I’m not sure what I was expecting but this blew my mind! What a book! Lavender is one of my favorite herbs l. I have it in oils, in perfume, in teas and lattes. It’s such a comforting note! This book taught me so much and showed so many uses I didn’t even think about. I will be buying a physical copy for sure!
I received an e-copy of this book for review, but I think it would be a beautiful book to have in hard copy as it is so well designed and illustrated.
There is probably everything you ever need to know about lavender here. All the different types, how to grow it, harvest it and many many ways it can be used. It is ideal for anyone who has a garden full of lavender and is wondering what to do with it other than pot pourri!
The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci and Jessica Dunham Is by far the best book I have read on one of the world's most beautiful and versatile flowers. Knowledgeable and Beautifully written The Lavender Companion Hs beautiful pictures, the information within is easy to read and recipes easy to follow. I learned so much about Lavander that reading this book has given me a newfound love for the flower. This book will make a wonderful addition to one's library or coffee table for all to enjoy.
What a beautiful book for a lavender enthusiasts! I did not know there are so many different ways you can use lavender and the number of varieties of it. The images are breath taking and really make the book. This would be a really good coffee table book or great gift to a hostess. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVE the high quality real pictures so much! And it’s there in almost every page of the entire book!
With an amazing background and a brief history of lavender, the book provides an extensive introduction to lavender and its various uses. Oh, you will love the recipes given too!
I doubt you will ever feel the need to look for another book on lavender if you get this one. It has all the ingredients and elements when it comes to LAVENDER 💜
Thank you, Storey Publishing, for the advance reading copy.
'The Lavender Companion' is a must read book for all the lavender lovers. We can learn how to plant, when to harvest and how to dry lavender to get all the benefits this herb carries in itself. The book also contains recipes for baking and pantry preserves but also handful tips of how to use lavender to realax and unwind.
It's a book I'm definitely going to go back to a lot.
I personally really love Lavender fragrances. It is help me to relax and sleeps better. The goodies coming to me as perfume, oil essential, and bodbeauty care products. The Lavender Companion by Terry Barlin Vesci open and blows my mind with whole world about my no 1 favorite flower herb.
This book is presenting informations and decorate with perfect layout with gorgeous pictures. The writing is great and easy to follow. The books contains the difference between two big type of Lavender and it contribution into culinary/non one and how to grow them. The recipes are hidden gems, I learning how to use it almost for everything.
Perfect beautiful book for collection, comfortable, and study.
Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing a copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love lavender. In the house I grew up in we had a lavender bush by the letterbox, and after I started balcony gardening in earnest I planted a French Lavender that is not very scented but flowers in winter, and an English Lavender that is just coming into bloom now, and smells so good. So, my interest in this book was pretty obvious. The authors run a lavender farm in Arizona, and really know their topic. The first thing that struck me about this book is how pretty it is. It's also informative and inspiring. It had chapters on how to grow lavender, how to use it in various ways including body-care, food, drinks. At the end Terry explained how she and her partner became lavender farmers, and it made me want to try something new in life. You can also go and visit their farm, and I really wanted to. What a lovely book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an e_Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love Lavender and work with it often but this was a must have for anyone looking to learn more about it! From learning about the various types of Lavender to recipes for using it for skin care, food etc. I even learned that I can keep it in my cupboards to keep mice and insects out. I love Lavender but now I know that it has so many more uses.
Get this book if you are interested in learning more about this amazing herb!!