5 Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Your Garden

Why Grow Natural Medicine

While I absolutely love a traditional garden with fruits and vegetables, the most joy I get from gardening actually comes from the medicinal plants I grow each year. Not only is a medicinal garden absolutely stunning, there really is nothing more empowering than being able to take your family’s health into your own hands. I do want to say that I am very thankful for modern medicine when we have needed it in an emergency. However, since I have begun my journey studying how I to use plants as medicine, my family’s health and my pocketbook have greatly benefitted from the knowledge I have gained.

Where You Can Learn More About Medicinal Plants

The internet really is quite amazing, isn’t it? You can learn about anything you truly desire. If you want to dive deeper into studying herbalism, you can find many options online for courses. The price of these courses can range from $20-$2000. I have never taken an official herbalist course; the majority of my knowledge has come from investing in really great books as resources and learning from experience of using them in my home. I have purchased several books that I have really loved. My absolute favorite book on this topic is called The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies. You can check it out HERE. Not only does it give an outstanding overview of each plant, but it also gives instructions on how to and when to harvest and how to create multiple remedies. I would highly recommend having a reliable source in hard copy for your home library.

How to Choose Which Plants to Grow

The list I am going to give you below is what I recommend for not only beginners, but I believe they are the “staples” in every medicinal garden. From here, I would suggest making a list of the ailments your family faces. For us, allergies, asthma, anxiety, pain relief, detoxing, and immune support were mostly what we needed support for. What types of medications does your family currently take that you would like to find a healthier alternative for? Find a good book like the one I linked above and start studying plants that have been used for centuries.

*I am giving examples of medicinal plants that my family has used. I am not a doctor, please consult a healthcare provider before use of these plants to ensure they do not interfere with medications you may be taking.

Chamomile

If you are just starting off learning about herbalism, I would highly suggest chamomile to begin your natural health journey. This floral plant is jam packed with benefits and is an absolute delight in the garden. Chamomile has an aroma that resembles a mix between honey and a sweet apple. It is most effective when steeped in a tea, but even just smelling this wonderful plant calms my soul on a stressful day. It can also be made into a tincture or dried and encapsulated. For this particular plant, I direct sow the seeds after the risk of the last frost, and it grows wonderfully. The more you harvest chamomile, the more it will grow.

Uses: digestive issues, colic, muscle aches, insomnia, pinkeye, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, congestion, allergies, anxiety. I have also used chamomile tea to help support fever.

Yarrow

This will be the first official year that I am planting yarrow at our home. In previous years, my family and I would drive up to the mountains behind our home to harvest this lovely floral plant in its natural environment. In our area there is a special spot we love to visit when yarrow is growing at its prime called Moonlight Meadows. It is one of my favorite places on earth. We usually make it a fun day of checking cows that are on the mountain and packing a picnic to enjoy while we pick yarrow.

This is a photo I snapped of my little cowboy from a couple years back on one of our trips up there. Isn’t it such a beautiful plant?

I have first-hand experience with the power of this plant that made me a true believer in the power of plants. (birth details ahead, so skip this paragraph if you choose to) Immediately after the birth of my second son, I became lightheaded and blacked out as I walked to the restroom. I know now this was probably the point I began to hemorrhage. Then nurses rushed to me and began to put ammonia under my nose to wake me up. I asked my mom to get the bottle of yarrow I had packed, and I took several drops under my tongue. I seemed fine, so no further investigation into the matter took place. That night, I realized just how serious the situation was. Here are the gory details of you want to scroll: I passed a clot of blood that was the size of a melon. I called for the nurse, and I will never forget the look of horror on her face. She said she had only seen one other woman pass that much blood, and she had to go in for hemorrhage surgery. After this happened, there were no other issues, and they kept a close watch on me. I truly believe it was the yarrow that helped clot the internal bleeding I had experienced. It also made me seriously question how things were handled (or not handled) and motivated me to take my health into my own hands.

I have used this plant in the form of essential oil, tea, and tincture. You can also make a poultice to use over wounds, especially if you are out in the woods and come across this plant. It grows very abundant in fields and mountains.

Uses: mastitis, wound healing, stop internal and external bleeding, regulates blood pressure, antibacterial and anti-fungal, fever, colds, measles, menstrual problems, dental pain, anxiety.

Comfrey

It has been said this plant was used by the native Americans to heal bones. Comfrey is so easy to grow in the garden. In fact, once the plant is established, good luck trying to dig it up and move it somewhere else. If there is a sliver of root left in the ground, it will grow back. This plant can be made into a salve or used a poultice. We have used this plant a lot with hurt backs and bulged disks. My husband previously had back surgery several years back to shave off a bulged disk. This past fall he reinjured his back and proclaimed it hurt worse than it had leading up to his surgery. My husband tends to be a little skeptical of all of my “natural cures”, but I insisted he let me make a comfrey poultice to place over the disk. He was amazed at how quickly the “gnawing” pain of a pinched nerve melted away after the application. It was less than a week of repeating this method that he was back to his usual self. This is when he became a believer of how powerful plants can be! I have also experienced bulged disks and pinched nerves, and I am always amazed at the relief I feel from having a comfrey bath. I will get an old sock that doesn’t have a match (you could also use cheesecloth) and place the comfrey inside and secure, basically making a very large tea bag for your bath.

Uses: sprains, bruises, breaks, back pain, osteoarthritis, cough, congestion, asthma, minor skin injuries, and stomach ulcers.

Lemon Balm (Melissa)

This is a newer plant I have added to my garden, and can I just say how much I adore it? If I am going to make an herbal tea, I never go without adding a little lemon balm. I find it to be so calming to my nervous system and the taste is lovely. In plant form, it resembles a peppermint plant but has a little broader leaf.

This plant can be harvested and used as a tea, extract, tincture, oil. or ointment.

Uses: relieves anxiety and insomnia, anti-viral, treatment of shingles and cold sores, PMS symptoms, protects the heart and liver, antibacterial and antifungal, diabetes, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, may help fight cancer, aids in digestion, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Echinacea

Before I became familiar with herbalism, this was always one of my favorite flowers in the garden. It is often called “purple coneflower”, but it is also known as Echinacea. I am sure you have heard of echinacea, especially referring to ingredients used to treat cold and flu symptoms, but it is used for so much more.

This plant will need to be a couple seasons old before you can harvest and use it, but it is definitely one I would recommend as a dual-purpose plant. I love echinacea so much that I added it to the ingredients of my Immune Boosting Syrup found in my General Store page.

Uses: boosts immune function, treatment of UTI, allergies and respiratory, infections, burns, wounds, antifungal, can be used for insect bites.

Where to Purchase

I would recommend finding a good source to purchase your seeds if you are planning on doing a medicinal garden this year. Plant farms will usually contain these plants, but they more than likely have been treated with a form of fertilizer you do not want to be taking into your body. I like to purchase my seeds from EDEN BROTHERS. Rareseeds.com also has a great selection. I start most of my medicinal plants indoors with the exception of chamomile and calendula (another great plant to research).

I hope this blog post was helpful to you. I hope you are encouraged that starting a medicinal garden is easier than it may seem. With the right resources you can be using these plants and others like them to aid in your family’s health.

-Lyndsi