|
Herbal Potpourri
Renowned Herbs
Common Ailments
Herbal Remedies
Free Newsletter
|
Top Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow In Your Backyard!
With plentiful information about medicinal herbs online and the benefits
of medicinal herbs well documented, many health-conscious gardeners
are becoming interested in growing herbs in their gardens. Many of
the herbs commonly used as food spices also have medicinal qualities
so that working healthful herbs into your garden produce is much easier
than you might expect.
They Look Pretty, Grow Well, and Are Good for You
An herb garden can be a fragrant and attractive addition to your backyard.
Many herbs are very hardy and require little in the way of care, a
definite plus for the busy gardener. Many of these flowers and small
shrubs that smell good, taste good, and look nice are also medicinal
herbs and plants. In fact, many of the most common and easily recognizable
of these, substances often thought of simply as spices, are actually
medicinal herbal plants with potential healing and preventative properties.
Consider the brief list below.
BASIL
The annual herb basil grows low to the ground at a height of about
eighteen inches. Individual plants should be about a foot apart. Basil
has a strong, sweet smell and grows best in hot, dry conditions. As
a seasoning for cooking, basil leaves are normally taken straight
from the plant, washed and added to the given dish at the last moment.
Basil will lose its flavor quickly when cooked.
However, usefulness does not end at the kitchen door for basil. Medicinal
herb properties for basil include memory enhancement and a calming
and strengthening of the nervous system. As an expectorant, basil
will clear the throat and lungs and the juice will treat ear aches
and fungal infections. An infusion or tea made from basil leaves will
also settle gastric distress.
GARLIC
The perennial, garlic, which is closely related to onions is cultivated
for its underground “head,” a grouping of perhaps as many
as a dozen pungent garlic cloves. To cultivate garlic, which grows
in sprout-like clumps, plant individual cloves two inches deep in
moist soil. In hot climates, keep your garlic plants as wet as possible.
At four months the long, spout-like foliage of garlic will die back
signaling that it is time to dig up the cloves.
Consumed either raw or used in foods, garlic is an extremely healthy
herb. It has been found to lower fatty deposits in arteries by as
much as fifty percent and to inhibit the formation of clots. It is
an extremely strong herb and you can expect to have “garlic
breath” after eating the cloves even when diced and cooked in
a recipe. (Perhaps this is as good a reason as any to also plant refreshing
mint in your backyard herb garden!)
LAVENDER
There are between 25 and thirty species of the herb lavender, which
is a member of the mint family. All are hardy perennial plants with
gray foliage and fragrant purplish leaves. (The height and degree
of spread varies by species.) Lavender dries easily and is often used
in sachets to freshen linen drawers, as an ingredient in potpourri,
or as part of holiday wreaths and other rustic decorations. (Bundles
of lavender are also said to ward off insects.)
For beekeepers, lavender flowers will yield excellent honey and oil
extracted from lavender is both an antiseptic and a calming agent
when used for aromatherapy. The oil applied to the temples and wrists
or sachets placed inside a bed pillow will also help headaches and
insomnia. When mixed with rosewater, witch hazel, or simply water
itself, rosemary oil will treat acne and other skin irritations.
MARJORAM
In the southern United States marjoram is a perennial but in northern
states is regarded as an annual. Marjoram grows to approximately one
foot in height and individual plants should be spaced six inches apart.
The plant is grown solely for the leaves which are cut when the plant
begins to flower and are allowed to slowly dry in a shady location
Marjoram has many medicinal properties and is often used as an essential
oil. It is a balancing and soothing herb with sedative and calming
properties. It will lower the blood pressure, ease respiratory and
stomach problems, cure headache, and tastes fantastic with lamb, fish,
salads and soups.
MINT
There are literally several hundred varieties of mint with peppermint,
spearmint, and pineapple mint being the most common and popular. All
are easy to grow and tend to reach heights of two feet with an overall
sprawling appearance. Of all the purported benefits of medicinal herbs,
those attributed to mints are perhaps the most documented.
Not only do mints taste good, but they have a number of medicinal
properties, in particular soothing gastric upsets. Peppermint used
as a tea is particularly effective for stomach complaints, but some
people report peppermint makes their heartburn worse. For children
with colic or an “upset tummy” spearmint should be used
because it is milder. (For adults spearmint has little benefit beyond
a pleasant taste and a breath freshening effect.) When combined with
rosemary, mint oil is a good hair conditioner and will control dandruff.
PARSLEY
The leaves of the bright green biennial, parsley, is often used as
a seasoning or food garnish. Curly leaf parsley is the more decorative
form while the flat leaf variety has a stronger flavor and is better
for seasoning. Parsley is very easy to grow and will thrive in a pot
on a window sill that gets lots of sunshine. Parsley should be kept
wet.
Known primarily for its properties as a diuretic, parsley should not
be eaten in large quantities by those with kidney problems. Premenstrual
women fighting water retention will gain a great benefit from parsley
and it is also effective in lowering mild cases of high blood pressure.
ROSEMARY
some rosemary growing as high as two to three feet. Although it needs
regular watering, rosemary is a hardy plant and will withstand intense
heat if provided with a bit of shade during the day.
While it tastes spicy and flavorful when added to food, especially
chicken dishes, rosemary also works as a mild analgesic. It will treat
headaches and poor circulation and can even be used as a natural breath
freshener. Rosemary oil is a very effective hair conditioner and anti-dandruff
remedy. Traditionally rosemary has been thought to improve memory.
WORMWOOD
Often when people ask, “What is wormwood?” they will be
told it is a popular landscaping plant. Certainly the gray-green leaves
of the wormwood plant are attractive. The plant, which reaches a maximum
height of about three feet, puts out yellow flowers in the summer.
It is extremely bitter to the taste.
When used for medicinal purposes, wormwood is usually mixed with peppermint
or caraway and in that combination treats gastric distress and irritable
bowel syndrome. In this fashion the three herbs are normally brewed
as a tea. Wormwood should not be used for more than a month at a time
and has actually been declared unsafe by the Food and Drug Administration
because the plant contains thujone, which damages the liver.
YARROW
This erect perennial grows from two to three feet in height and puts
out clusters of small white or pink flowers. Yarrow is extremely resistant
to drought and is often planted in dry areas to control erosion. Also,
because it is a fragrant plant, yarrow is also excellent to attract
butterflies into your garden.
Long used as a healing agent for cuts and abrasions, yarrow is both
an astringent and a stimulant and has been used to treat everything
from headaches to hemorrhoids. It will halt bleeding and will help
bruises to heal more quickly. The essential oil extracted from yarrow
will, when rubbed on the chest, sooth the congestion and body aches
of both cold and flu.
Continue to : Multiple Uses for Homegrown herbs
Related Article
Top Spices, Roots and Edible Flowers – Are You Missing Out on Them?
Make Life Sweeter With Stevia
The Most In-Demand Herbs Of Them All
Herbal Tea – No Wonder They Are So Popular
Beautifying Your Herb Garden With Perennial Herbs
 Bookmark
this Page  Email
this to your friend  Add
this page to del.icio.us
|
Suggest an Article
Haven´t found the article you are looking for, please suggest your article. We value all your suggestions and comments
|
