Growing Your Way To Better Health
A recent article over at Mother Earth News by Harvey Ussery talks about the benefits of planting medicinal herbs at home and I thought it warranted a mention here at our very own Earthly Garden.
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Lavender is easy to grow, |
If you think about it for a minute, it makes such perfect sense that I was wondering why I hadn’t done it sooner. Many herbal medicine plants produce colorful flowers that will serve not only to beautify your home garden but also to keep your health in check without ever having to leave the house for a trip to the pharmacy.
Ussery rightly points out in his piece that one of the biggest obstacles in most people’s minds when it comes to herbal remedies is that the majority of people equate such things with old fashioned folklore and don’t take herbal medicine seriously. While there is a degree of folklore attached, the fact is that the home herbalist has known for centuries the power of the plant and has been reaping the benefits quietly as the world makes expensive purchases of over-the-counter chemical this and synthesized that.
Before I continue, let me point something out that may (or should be) obvious. What do you think the basis - the origin, if you will - of medicine is? The Father of Modern Medicine himself Hippocrates used a powder made from willow bark and leaves as a pain reliever for headaches, body aches and fever. In a roundabout way, it was this discovery that led to the creation of aspirin (patented in 1900 by Bayer).
Chamomile, blackberry, willow… the truth is that a lot of people are already growing medicinal plants and don’t even know it. For my entries this week we are going to take a second look at some of these plants to find out what you can do with what you already have. You might even find a few herbs you want to start growing in the process!
Never underestimate the power of your Earthly Garden!
Tags: medicinal herbs herbology herbalist herbal medicine home remedy
September 1st, 2008 at 10:07 pm
I look forward to seeing what you highlight. I still grow a number of herbs that would be considered therapeutic, although the past few years I’ve been concentrating more on culinary herbs (I’ve got a patch of oregano a couple of feet across that has been bee heaven for the past month +).
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Rich,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve always had a soft spot for herbs and herbal remedies and the fact that many kitchen herbs are also good for health purposes makes it even more fun!