Medicinal herb garden

[1flhippy]

I saw in one of the gardening threads that we should think of planting a medicinal herb garden, but what exactly would one put in a medicinal herb garden? I have some aloe, an obvious choice. What exactly are some others herbs/plants that are medicinal that would go in this type of garden? Thanks for any suggestions.

From: The other half of Hippy Dippy Homestead!

[pinemead]

Thanks for starting this thread - I don't know either, but I'm anxious to see what others suggest!

[Sonshine]

I'm just learning about medicinal herb gardens. Here's a link that may help you get started:

http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com...al_herb_garden

So far in mine I have catnip, sweet basil, St Johns wort, corriander, feverfew, mint, thyme, and echanacia.

[Woodpecker]

In mine I currently have comfrey, nettles and walking onions.

[broadbentnhappy]

Hi, I have a bunch of Mother Earth News magazines from the 70's and 80's. There's an article in my July/August 1985 about "7 Indispensable Medicinal Herbs". Here they are: Comfrey, Echinacea, Garlic, Angelica, Calendula, Valerian, and Chamomile. Hopefully you can get on their website and perhaps read the article. It tells of their uses, how to harvest, dry, etc. Good luck and hope this helps a bit.
Shena

[culpeper]

If you grow the popular culinary herbs, like basil, thyme, lavender, sage, chives, parsley, oregano, mint, lemon balm, rosemary etc, you already have quite an impressive medicine chest in your garden.

People who are just beginning to get interested in herbal medicine are often surprised to learn that all culinary herbs have medicinal uses as well.

The same goes for vegetables (all of which I regard as herbs) - tomato, potato, pumpkin, onion, the Brassicas (cauliflower, cabbage etc), lettuce, cucumber......

Frankly, I cannot think of a single culinary herb or fruit or vegetable which hasn't got some medicinal virtue or other!

Then there are the flowering plants like daylily, roses, nasturtium, chaste-tree, and many more - which have medicinal and culinary uses.

Don't overlook the humble lemon, very valuable medicinally. Ditto bananas, raspberry, blackberry and a whole lot more.

I suggest you do some research into it. Just google 'rosemary', or 'edibile flowers' for instance, and be prepared to be amazed - and fascinated. Herbs, and learning about them, can be extraordinarily addictive!!

OK. So perhaps you remain underwhelmed by this information, and want to get a bit more exotic. Well, you have a mere 20,000 herbs to choose from. So you'll need to be very selective, and the best way of deciding on which herbs to choose is to think about what ailments you and your family suffer, or are likely to suffer, and grow your herbs accordingly.

Try searching for herbal First-Aid Kits on the web, and look at what herbs they contain. You might find any of the following. Keep in mind that most herbs have multiple uses, some of which you might want and some of which you dont!

Echinacea - as an immune booster
Feverfew - for headaches, and migraine protection
Meadowsweet - one of the original 'aspirin' plants
Agrimony - for cystitis
Evening Primrose - menstrual and menopausal problems, and much more
Aloe vera - burns, minor wounds
Lavender - burns, headaches, a relaxant
Comfrey - muscular sprains, bruising, broken-bone healing
Arnica - sore muscles etc
Thyme - strongly antiseptic
Dandelion - detoxifier, fluid-retention, warts
Calendula - minor wounds, rashes, burns, tinea
Fennel or Dill - indigestion, colic in babies
Garlic - a good all-rounder! multiple uses
Ginger - nausea
Lemon Balm - insect bites and stings, insomnia
Chamomile - restless or teething babies and children. Rashes. Burns. Sore eyes.
Marshmallow - boils, splinters, sore throat
Valerian - insomnia, anxiety, muscle spasms
Yarrow - nose-bleeds, bleeding wounds, fever
Tarragon - toothache
Mint - digestion, shock
Chickweed - skin problems
Toothache Plant (Spilanthes) - toothache
Gotu Kola (Pennywort - not to be confused with Pennyroyal) - aging problems

When doing your research, you'll need to know which herbs which grow where you live, and which won't. That will obviously affect your choices. It can be tricky trying to grow a tropical plant in Arctic conditions, or a desert plant in a wet climate.

Think of all the little ailments you are likely to suffer, then search for 'herbal remedies headache' or whatever, and you'll get a long, long list of herbs you can grow which will help.

Here are some good sites to begin with:

http://www.prevention.com/cda/catego...b.encyclopedia

http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal...tory_Index.htm

http://www.holistic-online.com/Herba...r_diseases.htm

http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/herbs.htm

http://www.gaiaherbs.com/herbs.php?B...ame=Scientific

Although some herbs are regarded as safe for children, I never recommend home use for children. Herbs, like conventional drugs, can and do react in immature bodies differently from how they react in adults, and the dosages are far smaller, too. Please seek expert advice before giving herbs to children. eg: ONE TEASPOON of a herbal tea is a dose for a child under 12. That compares with ONE CUP for an adult. So please exercise extreme caution when administering to children.

Also, when doing your research, take particular note of contraindications, side effects and other warnings. Be especially cautious where you have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart problems, blood pressure problems, thyroid problems, kidney or liver problems, allergies etc - and particularly if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

One very important detail which people frequently overlook (and so do websites!) is this - it is VITAL to know which part(s) of a plant is used, and how to prepare it.

One plant which some people might recommend is St. John's Wort. Yes, it has its uses, but it's one which I never recommend. For one thing, it's a declared noxious weed in many parts; for another, it interferes with just about every other herb or conventional drug on the planet; and further, it has a whole range of unwanted side-effects all of its own. Although it's readily available over-the-counter as a treatment for depression, it is actually contraindicated in cases of severe, recurring or chronic depression. So beware!

[ronbre]

i would add horehound and other members of the mint family for cough, when i had my throat surgery the only thing i could drink for the pain was sage tea, there is also catnip tea for a belly ache, there is a lot of TEA type plants like chamomile, etc..there are non herb plants also that are considererd medicinal..I have several books on medicinal herbs and plants..One good one is "back to eden" and another "healing herbs" .."edible wild plants" is also helpful..

[Jeff54321]

Get a book on medicinal herbs, one with pictures would be best, and spend some time reading about and looking at the herbs. See which ones speak to you and go from there...you will not go wrong. Common culinary herbs are a great place to start as most (probably all) contain medicinal properties.

[beaglady]

Chickweed and plantain are considered more as 'weeds' than herbs but both are valuable in salves. Jewelweed is another 'weed' that is worth keeping.

[1flhippy]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really appreciate all the links and books suggestions. I have gone online, it just seems like there's so much. I'll start with these suggestions as a way to narrow it down a little. For right now, I just don't understand all the stuff I find online. Thanks again!

From: The other half of Hippy Dippy Homestead!

[culpeper]

Yes, it can be a bit overwhelming when you first start out with herbs! My suggestion is to start very small. Begin by learning about the medicinal uses of your culinary herbs, and gradually work your way along. Think of an ailment your family might suffer (say, diarrhoea or indigestion or bruising) which can be treated at home (unless it's very serious, chronic or recurring). Find out which plants can be of use in treating it, choose one which is suitable for your garden, and plant it!

There is a grave danger, however, that you may have embarked on a life-long journey of herb-discovery and obsession (I prefer to call it 'fascination') which can lead to the inabillity to resist buying any and every herb you ever come across! Ask me how I know. It's an absorbing hobby at the very least. It helps to have vast areas available to accommodate all the ones you want!!

If there is something you read on-line about herbs, and don't understand, please feel free to PM me. I don't know everything about all herbs, but I just might be able to help. It's been my obsession (um, I mean hobby) for several decades and I've learned one or two things.