Fun With Herbs

Hosted by herbalist Beverly Fennell, and shot at historic Hyssop Hill, near Nashville, TN, where Fennell teaches students about growing, harvesting, and using herbs, Fun With Herbs is divided into four sections: planning and planting, preserving and drying, cooking with herbs, and more fun with herbs. Unfortunately, two problems plague the production. First, Fennell works without a script, and while often charming and definitely knowledgeable in her subject, she has a tendency to flit about from one topic to another. Secondly, the filmmakers apparently have no urge to use the video medium to actually show viewers how to do the many things which Fennell mentions. Viewers are told but not shown how to make a raised garden herbal bed, shown a number of bottles and jars used for preserving but shown very little about the actual process, and shown some very lovely herbal wreaths but not how to make them. A little forethought and planning might have made for more "fun" with herbs. This will only frustrate interested newcomers to the subject. (For preserving and using herbs medicinally, the exhaustive Herbal Preparations and Natural Therapies: Creating and Using a Home Herbal Medicine Chest--reviewed in our September 1990 issue--is still the best bet.) This is not recommended. (Available from most distributors.)