More and more people are turning to homeopathic medicines to either replace or supplements the more traditional chemical medical interventions. What’s more, many of the herbs that can be utilized for these purposes are easily grown in your own garden, as long as you know what the basics. Here are some easy healing herbs to grow in any garden, and all of them share the basic principles of being easy to nurture, easy to source, and useful for a number of health complaints.
Chamomile
Most peopleare aware of the healing properties of chamomile tea, say, for mentalstress, and it is no coincidence that this sweet honey-like herb is apopular choice for oral consumption.
Believe itor not, chamomile can also act as a pain relief, especially to thosesuffering from arthritis, and is a great natural intervention forthose looking for some restful sleep. The other great news is thatchamomile is easy to get your hands on for planting purposes, andthrives in sunny but not-to-hot climates, and in soil that doesn’trequire a large degree of fertilizer.
Dandelion
Dandelion isso easy to grow that most of us spend our time trying to weed outthis ‘pest’ from out otherwise well-maintained lawns. However,dandelion is a natural diuretic, meaning that is beneficial to ourliver and kidneys. It’s easily consumed as a tea, or if you arefeeling slightly more adventurous, some tasty dandelion wine.
“The taste of this weed is surprisingly sweet, and with beneficial diuretic, properties, you will never curse its appearance in your garden again,” enthuses Alan Firestone, a gardening writer at Biology Writing and OxEssays.
Garlic
No list ofeasy-to-grow medicinal herbs would be complete without this pungentcrowd favourite. Garlic is considered somewhat of a magic bullet forany number of ills, including fevers and sore throats. That isbecause, as well as being tasty, garlic is proven to stimulate thegrowth and production of white blood cells, which are of course oneof the body’s natural defences in times of crisis. It is also hasanti-septic and anti-bacterial qualities. Plus it’s so easy to growthat it is ubiquitous in any number of climates, particularly as wildgarlic.
Ginger
Another herbthat needs little introduction and which is already a favourite ofany number of recipes from cuisines all around the world. However,you may have noticed that ginger s often a common ingredient incuisines which emanate from hooter climates: Thai and Indian cookingsprings to mind. That’s no coincidence as ginger prefers hot,tropical climates to grow in, meaning that if you live in a placewhich doesn’t fit this description, a greenhouse will be required.However, ginger doesn’t require much space to prosper, and ofcourse is produced under the soil because it is in fact a rhizome.
“Perhaps the most well-known benefit of ginger, or should I say, the most well-known sensation offered by ginger, is that feeling of warmth that is provides after consumption, and that is because it improves circulation. It’s also an anti-inflammatory, so is a great all-rounder for natural medicine collections,” says Brian Woolsten, a lifestyle blogger at PaperFellows and Academized.
Oregano
The list ofpositive attributes of oregano is almost endless: it’s a greatdigestive aid, t’s good for your skin, it has anti-bioticqualities, and so on. From a growing perspective, perhaps the onlyissue you will have once you have planted oregano is how to keep itunder control. That’s because it is a hardy herb which thrives insunshine, and doesn’t require too much heat, although it won’tmind too. Popular in Mediterranean cuisine of course, where it growsabundantly, oregano is a tasty herb which offers a number ofmedicinal benefits, as seen.
Peppermint
Peppermint’sscent is unmistakable, and is everywhere in the world of candy, usedto flavour gum in particular. And that is no coincidence either asone of the best healing traits of peppermint is that is great foraiding digestion and appeasing upset stomachs, as well as fightingflatulence. Chew or suck some peppermint – which grows almostubiquitously in any number of climates – after a heavy meal and youfeel as good as new before too much time has lapsed, and your breathwill smell great too!
