Herbal Medicine Chest in you Garden

GROWING YOUR
HERBAL MEDICINE CHEST
by Ken Atherton (Retired Pharmacist)

Have you ever wondered why you feel uneasy at times about the current state of the planet, the changing weather, the world currencies, plagues, famines, wars etc. Well it could be that your inner alarm bells are ring around just how vulnerable you are if things get worse, a lot worse.

Take a look at how much we are dependent on “Big Brother” for our daily survival needs. Most people in "developed" countries depend on reticulated water, electrical power, petroleum fuel, food, clothing, medicine, and even religion “reticulates” spirituality, and we are paying for these survival needs at an alarmingly increasing rate.

“Big Brother” has stepped in between us and our daily needs with the promise that “we will supply you” and we have slipped into complacency, surrendering much of our self-responsibility and with it, our personal power.

That’s the bad news! The good news is that you can do something about it and you can claim back some of your power and self-responsibility in many areas. One such area is to develop your own herbal medicine chest right in your own garden.

Before the advent of modern medicine, the people of the day used the locally growing herbs to manage their daily medical needs. They were familiar with what herb to use for what complaint and there were the herbalists to call upon if needed. Herbal medicines do not replace modern medicine for serious medical problems but they are very useful for helping with our minor illnesses.

What you can do, is start growing a small collection of these medical herbs in your garden, using them for such common ailments such as coughs, colds, sore throats, cuts and abrasions. You can select some of the herbs from the list below or make your own list and contact the local nursery or your “herbal” friend to obtain the plants or seeds that you want. Choose the herbs suitable for your climatic zone and over time your garden can become your herbal medicine chest.

Obviously, you need to be responsible as to the identification and correct use of these herbs, but many are commonly known herbs and most are safe if used sensibly. You can also obtain excellent books on medical herbs that detail their usage and dosing, one such book being “The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal” by David Hoffmann.

Many of the weeds growing in your garden have medicinal properties and by accurately identifying these weeds with their species name and then using your reference book, you can learn how they may be used. You will be surprised just how useful that “weed” that you have been furiously trying to get rid of, is as a medicinal herb.

If you wish to learn more, there are often Adult Education courses on herbs and there are now many excellent correspondence courses on medicinal herbs available. You may even be able to find a willing herbalist to talk to yourself and a gathering of your friends about the use of these herbs in a home setting.

Choosing to become more self reliant in using medicines from your garden does mean you being responsible in regards to correctly identifying the minor ailment, the appropriate herb and dosage to use. If unsure of a diagnosis you can always refer to a medical practitioner or herbalist for their advice and then use your garden herbs accordingly, either with other prescribed medication, or by themselves.

The harvesting and drying of these herbs for use through out the year is not difficult and can easily be done in a home setting by obtaining the harvest date and the parts harvested from your reference book. You then harvest the herb, cutting it into small pieces and then drying it over a warm area such as the hot water cylinder. When the herb is “crackle” dry place it in a cellophane bag for storage. On drying herbs with flowers, they should be placed in the freezer for 3 days to kill any weevils that may be present.

By starting in a small way and carefully building your range of herbs and the knowledge of their use and how they are best grown, you can over time develop a broad and sound knowledge around medicinal herbs and their usage. You may also find your friends calling on you for some herbs and advice on their use.

Remember, you can take your medicinal herb garden as far as you wish, the most difficult step being the first. After starting and with continued interest, in time you may find that your range of herbs has increased along with your knowledge, and that now you are mostly self reliant on herbs from your garden for many of your common ailments.

Listed below is a range of medicinal herbs for common ailments.

These herbs are of mostly European origin and require temperate to cool climates for their successful propagation. The herbs are listed alphabetically according to their species name, along with a brief comment on their medical uses. It is recommended that a good reference book be used to obtain the herb’s full medical properties.

Common name	Species name	Common usage	Parts used
Yarrow	Achillea millefolium	Fever and cystitis	Aerial parts when in flower
Garlic	Allium sativum	Cough, colds, infection	Bulb
Aloe	Aloe vera	Burns	Leaf mucilage
Marigold	Calendula officinalis	Wound healing	Flower
Centaury	Centaurium erythraea	Bitter digestive tonic	Aerial parts in flower
Chamomile	Chamaemelum nobile	Sedative and indigestion	Flower
Echinacea	Echinacea purpurea	Immune support	Whole plant in flower
Californian Poppy	Eschscholzia california	Sedative and hypnotic	Aerial parts in flower
Meadowsweet	Filipendula ulmaria	Digestive tonic	Aerial parts in flower
Fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	Flatulence and colic	Seeds
Fumitory	Fumaria officinalis	Eczema	Aerial parts in flower
Cleavers	Galium aparine	Lymphatic tonic	Aerial parts
St Johns wort	Hypericum perforatum	Sedative, analgesic	Aerial parts in flower
Lavender	Lavandula angustifolia	Calminative	Flower
White Horehound	Marrubium vulgare	Unproductive cough	Leaves and flowers
Peppermint	Mentha piperita	Indigestion	Aerial parts
Catnip	Nepeta cataria	Cold and flu	Leaves and flowers
Parsley	Petroselinum Crispum	Diuretic	Leaves and root
Ribwort	Plantago lanceolata	Mild bronchitis	Leaves
Raspberry	Rubus idaeus	Astringent	Leaves and fruit
Yellow dock	Rumex crispus	Skin complaints	Root
Elder flower	Sambucus nigra	Influenza	Flowers
Skullcap	Scutellaria laterifolia	Nerve tonic	Aerial parts in flower
Wood betony	Stachys officinalis	Tension headaches	Aerial parts in flower
Comfrey	Symphytum officinale	Externally on wounds	Leaves
Feverfew	Tanacetum parthenium	Migraine	Leaves
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	Diuretic	Root and leaf
Red clover	Trifolium pratense	Skin conditions	Flower heads
Nettle	Urtica dioica	Tonic	Aerial parts

Pindari Herb Farm
200 Norwich Drive Longford Tas. 7301
www.pindariherbfarm.com
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