ABOUT THIS VIRTUAL HERBAL

Herbalism is a story that tells about the interrelationship and interdependence of plants and animals on planet Earth. This story has been passed down through a rich oral tradition based on the experience of millions over thousands of years.

The written word, too, is a favored human expression to celebrate our relationship with plants and their healing power. A collection of these feelings, ideas, and practical instructions in written form were often called herbals, or books where knowledge and wisdom about plants were written down and passed along.

In ancient times, up until the close of the 15th century when the printing press was invented, herbals were copied over and over by hand. After the printing press, the only two books in most households, sitting on the mantle, were the Bible, and an herbal. The books were often large, created by hand-setting type, hand carving pictures of the plants, and pressing the blocks onto hand-made paper. Herbals were often beautiful to look at, but they were fixed into the paper for all time. Written words are fixed onto paper, but the real herbalist's knowledge is always growing and alive. Now, through the almost miraculous changes that have taken place in technology to produce computers and networks of computers and humans, we have the ability to create a virtual herbal that can be changed daily. Today, you can take an herb walk in a virtual herb garden as the herbalist tells stories about each of the plants. A virtual herbal can change, and it can talk, and help with communication between cultures. A virtual herbal can embrace and present large amounts of data in a way that is accessible and interactive. A virtual herbal is not just the words, it is the story of herbalism we create through experience. Herbalism is especially about family and community.