St. Hildegard’s Garden by Paul Ferris. Sophia Institute Press (Manchester, NH, 2025). 240 pp., hardcover. $29.95. Available from the publisher.
My mother once studied plants with a brilliant Catholic herbalist. Mom learned how to identify, prepare, and use various herbs for general health or medicinal reasons. I remember learning from her how to identify white pine needles and discovering what they are good for; it was rewarding to find out what plants are beneficial for a chest infection and which simply taste like root beer.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, readers can experience a similar sense of wonder. In St. Hildegard’s Garden, readers will be fascinated as they enjoy learning from this practical guide to remedies of body, mind, and spirit in which health journalist Paul Ferris catalogs the wisdom of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Doctor of the Church.
Meet Hildegard, the mystic and scholar who chronicled over six-hundred pages of visions, wrote cantatas, and even devised her own language. She authored The Book of Divine Works, Causes and Cures, and Scivias, and corresponded with the greatest intellectuals, theologians, and royals of her time.
St. Hildegard was revolutionary in her use of plants and herbs to help prevent and treat diseases. In her recent Like Mother, Like Daughter blog post on the book, Leila Lawler writes, “St. Hildegard’s understanding of the order of creation, of man’s place in it, and of the providence of God the Creator, offers the hierarchical vision we really need to organize our thoughts about health and healing.”
This book faithfully applies Hildegard’s pioneering thought to everyday living in our time. In these invaluable pages, you will find the medicinal properties of essential herbs, as well as how to identify, utilize, and cultivate them. Fascinating and practical factoids are included, such as which “herb of the angels” is used to treat anxiety, fatigue, and much more.
“If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of the uses of plants in medicine, this book is a pleasurable way to proceed,” Lawler continued. “It’s not the only book you’ll end up needing and wanting, but it is in many ways an important one.”
Readers will learn about treating everything under the sun, from memory to muscle pain, and ways to include delicious herbs in their dinner and dessert recipes to fortify their health.
“The book itself is lovely and perfect for the well curated coffee table,” added Lawler. “A good part of it consists of beautiful old prints of the plants and herbs St. Hildegard used in her apothecary, and she was a renowned healer in addition to her other, manifold virtues.”
Members of the media may send an email to Sophia Institute Press’ Director of Publicity, Sarah Lemieux at slemieux@SophiaInstitute.com to receive a physical or digital copy of St. Hildegard’s Garden and/or to schedule an interview with their spokesperson Leila Lawler.
