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Multiple Uses For Homegrown Herbs
Beyond the fact that these herbs will look attractive in your yard
and will perhaps attract busy bees or colorful butterflies,
they can
also be dried for use in home decorations or in fragrant sachets and
potpourris. More skillful home herbalists can use dried parts of their
plants to brew teas and infusions or to create salves and oils from
the plants in their garden. (You can search for more information on
the uses of medicinal herbs online.)
Always avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides on or around the
plants you intend to eat or to use for medicinal purposes. Do not
mix herbs in combination unless you completely understand the potential
interactions and side effects. Also be sure that none of the herbs
you plan to use will adversely interact with your prescription medications.
What about chinese Herbs
Because chinese medicine has a completely different approach to the
definition of and treatment of disease, simply growing chinese medicinal
herbs is not the same as practicing chinese medicine.
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Still, since
chinese medicinal herbs and products have become so popular in the
United States in recent years, more and more American gardeners are
attempting to cultivate chinese plants with mixed success. Probably
the two herbs at the top of this list are dong quai and ginseng.
Dong quai, a plant indigenous to China, is used medicinally for gynecological
problems, anemia, blood pressure, and fatigue. It is an analgesic,
anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, and sedative. The plant, which
puts out clusters of white flowers, can grow as tall as eight feet.
It likes well-drained but moist soils and partial shade.
There are at least six varieties of ginseng, which grows slowly over
a number of years and does best in the cool shade of hardwood forests.
It is a perennial that can lie dormant on some years and it will not
grow in full sun. Obviously it is not suited for cultivation in all
parts of the United States but can thrive in the Pacific Northwest.
More and more online outlets are offering the seeds of chinese herbs
for sale. Your best bet is to simply peruse the descriptions and to
compare them to what you know will grow in your yard. If other “hardy
perennials” grow in your beds, so will hardy chinese perennials
like Haung-Qin (purges fever and stops bleeding) or Jie-Geng (treats
lung problems and laryngitis.) Growing these herbs may be a business
of trial and error but without question, many will grow in various
regions of the United States.
A Final Word on Medicinal
Herbs
The benefits of medicinal herbs have been known for centuries and
continue to be refined and explored via modern research methods. Your
herb garden will not only enhance the beauty of your backyard but
it can also enhance your health and well being. You can learn a great
deal about traditional Western and chinese medicinal herbs online
as well as find retail sources from which to purchase seeds for harder
to find plants.
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