Plants With Benefits: An Uninhibited Guide to the Aphrodisiac Herbs, Fruits, Flowers & Veggies in Your Garden

Look - as a plant geek myself, I always approach books with some reservation, but here is a book that truly delivered what it said it would. Just what the Dr. ordered - and I even learned more than I thought I would. Virtual Viagra for the gardener! If your wife or husband buys this book, you better get a second copy for yourself ( just incase you are wondering why they suddenly grew an entire raised bed of XXXXXX- Ooooooo - come on! I can't tell Helen tells you to grow, you'll need to get this book to find out! Honestly, I feel 15 years younger and I have abs again, or at least, I feel that way.Really though, a very fun read, and one of those books which you will want to keep on the night table,( or maybe under the mattress) for those nights when you can't get to sleep. A rare book that teaches you something, as well as being practical and fun to revisit.

What a fun book! I've had this book for a while and it brings smiles every time I read even one page of it. Being WFPB (Whole Foods Plant Based) & a gardener, I come to this with dual appreciation, I love reading ALL of the benefits of these plants...and love learning which ones I can incorporate most readily into my own garden! It's a coffee table book without taking up the entire coffee table...it's an ideal gift for someone who 1. loves food 2. loves gardening and 3. loves or NEEDS a giggle!

Who knew that? Sexual? Sensual? In MY garden??? We all know that Carrots are good for your eyesight, Bananas are full of Potassium, and that Parsley makes a great garnish, but did you know...?In 'Plants With Benefits', author Helen Yoest, using the same wit and wisdom she indulged in with her previous book 'Gardening with Confidence: 50 Ways to Add Style for Personal Creativity', gives us the inside look at the many magical, mystical benefits of several fruits and vegetables,herbs, spices, and even drinks many of us use on a daily basis. Using fact and folklore, along with a lot of history, interspersed with many inspiring recipes along the way, Helen opens up a totally new way to look at the garden you grow and the foods you eat, from the amorous Anise to wonderful Watermelon. Oh, and that Jasmine vine that's growing up the back porch railing outside the bedroom window? If you don't have one, maybe you should get one. This book will tell you why :) Don't forget to leave the window cracked. As Helen says, "A plant that helps us to love is a plant worth having".

It's not too late to give this delicious book to your Valentine! A feast for the eyes, food for the brain (and other body parts) that will make you sound intelligent at cocktail parties, recipes that will cause you to drool before you try them and swoon afterwards, hints that will help you garden with love--Helen Yoest's Plants With Benefits is a spicy delight. Bursting with fun and funny history, this book is the perfect size to tuck in your purse and read when you're standing in line or waiting for an appointment, so long as you don't object to laughing out loud in public!

Plants With Benefits had me giggling like a school girl, laughing out loud at times, and taking notes all along the way. Once I started reading the book, it was hard to put down. I kept telling myself… I’ll read about just one more plant, and then I’ll put it down. I learned so many cool things in this book. Plus, the recipes were an unexpected surprise and they look very easy. I can’t wait to try them, especially the lavender cookies. That’s right, I said lavender cookies… doesn’t that sound A-mazing?

In our deepest self we recognize the sensual beauty of the shape of a fruit or vegetable and delight in it. Helen Yoest's newest book, "Plants with Benefits", invites us into the boudoir of the garden bed to embrace the love and seduction of various spices, plant shapes, and the seductive nutrients they offer men and women that will satisfy our love song.After reading "Plants with Benefits", my wedding gift to newly married couples, or as an anniversary gift for any anniversary year, will now be a basket of cucumbers, coriander seeds and a copy of Helen Yoest's book, "Plants with Benefits"!This book is a wonderful reference book for any garden library!

waist of time

I got this engaging book as a birthday gift - I said at the time it would be of only academic interest but the photos looked great. After I got past page-riffling, and settled down to read, I was charmed with the breadth of the cultural references, from Peru to the Moluccas, from prehistory through Classical time, and the Renaissance to Native American lore and modern science. Who knew the "it" factor in passionflowers would be benzoflavone moiety (BZF)? Careful to use correct botanical names for flora (passiflora incarnate) and fauna (Apis mellifera), Helen brings in more than factoids to pique interest in horticultural, culinary, cultural, and/or practical aspects of each beautifully illustrated edible.Could go on but I will leave others to their discoveries and delight in this newest of Helen Yoest's books.