Llewellyn's 2026 Herbal Almanac: A Practical Guide to Growing, Cooking & Crafting

Biographical Note:

As the world's oldest and largest independent publisher of books for body, mind, and spirit, Llewellyn is dedicated to bringing our readers the very best in metaphysical books and resources. Since 1901, we've been at the forefront of holistic and metaphysical publishing and thought. We've been a source of illumination, instruction, and new perspectives on a wealth of topics, including astrology, tarot, wellness, earth-based spirituality, magic, and the paranormal. From e-books to tarot-themed iPhone apps, Llewellyn has embraced the Digital Age to continue our mission.

Llewellyn also partners with Italian publisher Lo Scarabeo, as the exclusive US and Canadian distributor of their beautiful tarot and oracle decks. They also partner with Blue Angel, an Australian publisher of oracles, books, CDs, and other sidelines.

Contents

Introduction to Llewellyn's Herbal Almanac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Growing and Gathering
Small-Space Fruit Production by Jordan Charbonneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .5
Breeding a Better Tomato by Kathy Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
The Art and Practice of Wild-Tending by Mandana Boushee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Landscaping with Herbs in the Flower Garden by James Kambos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Oh Deer! Critter-Resistant Herbs by Elizabeth Barrette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
The Community in Value-Added Production by Mason Olonade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Cooking
How Sweet It Is: Preserving and Fermenting with Honey by Monica Crosson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Open Ajonjalí! by Linda Raedisch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Herbal Mocktails by Sara Mellas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Freezer Meals 101 by Raechel Henderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Health and Beauty
Elimination Diets by Mireille Blacke, RD, CD-N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Postpartum Herbs and Lore by Rachael Witt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Gardening as Medicine by Teresa Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

DIY and Crafts
How to Make a Compost Tumbler by Laurel Woodward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
How to Gather Pine Resin Without Sticking to Your Car by Diana Rajchel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Eco-Printing Fabrics with the Bounties of Your Garden by Annie Burdick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Plant Profiles
Plant Profiles: USDA Hardiness Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Potato by Anne Sala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Cranberry by Marilyn I. Bellemore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Hosta by Charlie Rainbow Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Willow by Natalie Zaman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Gardening Resources
Special Feature! Learning to Garden in an Ever-Hotter World by JD Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Companion Planting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Cooking with Herbs and Spices by Susan Pesznecker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Gardening Techniques by Jill Henderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
2026 Themed Garden Plans by Jordan Charbonneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Planning Your 2026 Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
2026 Gardening Log with tips by Laurel Woodward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Gardening by the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

For twenty-seven years, Llewellyn's Herbal Almanac has been a trusted source of inspiration for growing, using, and benefiting from nature's most exciting plants.

Enthusiasts of all skill levels appreciate the variety of information packed into this book with intriguing articles on gardening, cooking, crafts, health, beauty, history, and lore. Teresa Peterson explores gardening as a form of medicine, Monica Crosson guides you through preserving with honey, and Jordan Charbonneau offers tips for small-space fruit production. This year's edition also features detailed profiles for potatoes, hostas, cranberries, and willows.

Whether you are interested in tomato breeding, mocktails, post-partum herbs, DIY compost tumblers, or wild-harvested pine tree resin, this insightful almanac has something for every herbalist.

Contributor Bio:Llewellyn

As the world's oldest and largest independent publisher of books for body, mind, and spirit, Llewellyn is dedicated to bringing our readers the very best in metaphysical books and resources. Since 1901, we've been at the forefront of holistic and metaphysical publishing and thought. We've been a source of illumination, instruction, and new perspectives on a wealth of topics, including astrology, tarot, wellness, earth-based spirituality, magic, and the paranormal. From e-books to tarot-themed iPhone apps, Llewellyn has embraced the Digital Age to continue our mission.

Llewellyn also partners with Italian publisher Lo Scarabeo, as the exclusive US and Canadian distributor of their beautiful tarot and oracle decks. They also partner with Blue Angel, an Australian publisher of oracles, books, CDs, and other sidelines.

Monica Crosson is a master gardener who has taught gardening through her local Washington State University's extension office for more than twenty-five years. She has been a practicing Witch and educator for over thirty years and is a member of Evergreen Coven. Monica is the author of The Magickal Family, A Year in the Enchanted Garden, and Cozy Cottage Witchery. She is also a regular contributor to Llewellyn's annuals and datebooks as well as magazines such as Enchanted Living and Witchology. Visit her at MonicaCrosson.substack.com.

Linda Raedisch has been contributing crafts, recipes, and ethnobotanical lore to Llewellyn's Herbal Almanac since 2012. She is the author of The Old Magic of Christmas and The Secret History of Christmad Baking. Outside the kitchen, she has special interests in papercrafts, minority languages, and exploring the suburban jungle. You can follow her culinary, crafting, and linguistic adventures on Instagram @lindaraedisch.

Raechel Henderson is a Pagan and witch, following an eclectic and independent path. She currently works with Hestia and Turtle in her magical practice. She contributes articles to Llewellyn's almanacs and calendars, and she blogs about magic, creativity, and living by your own patterns. Raechel is a dual-class seamstress/shieldmaiden and has been sewing professionally since 2008. She is also the author of Sew Witchy, The Scent of Lemon & Rosemary, and The Natural Home Wheel of the Year. Visit her on Instagram: @idiorhythmic

Diana Rajchel began her career planning to serve as clergy and write about all subjects spiritual. It did not occur to her or anyone else to say with what agency she might assume priesthood. The result of this oversight in intention setting is that she is now an itinerant city priestess, well-practiced witch, and somewhat unintentional subversive. Her background includes Wicca, folk witchcraft, conjure, and a whole lot of experience organizing people that don't like knowing that they're organized. Diana splits her time between San Francisco, California, where she co-owns Golden Apple Metaphysical, and southwestern Michigan, where she runs Earth and Sun spiritual coaching with her partner. In between her wanderings she teaches as part of the Magick 101 series for Wicked Grounds Annex in San Francisco, and teaches and reads tarot at Elements Kalamazoo in Michigan. Diana has more than 25 years' experience as a professional tarot reader and western herbalist and has more than 30 years' experience as a professional writer. She is also the pet DragonCat to a very ladylike boxer named Nora.

Laurel Woodward (Portland, OR) has been a witch for 20 years and is also a tarot reader. She has written for magazines and ezines on the subjects of healthy living, organic gardening, sustainable living, and the magick of tapping creative energy. Learn more at www.LiminalLandscapes.com.

Natalie Zaman is the author of Color and Conjure and Magical Destinations of the Northeast (Llewellyn); the co-author of Sirenz (Flux), Sirenz Back In Fashion (Flux), and Blonde Ops (Thomas Dunne Books); and is a contributor to various Llewellyn annual publications.

JD Walker is the vice chancellor of the House of Akasha, a North Carolina pagan group. She is an award-winning author, journalist, and magazine editor as well as a frequent contributor to the Llewellyn annuals. Walker has written a regular garden column for over thirty years, and she is the author of A Witch's Guide to Wildcraft and Under the Sacred Canopy. She resides in Greensboro, North Carolina.