Growing a garden is one of the most therapeutic aspects of life. The relationship that we build with nature through the process of tending to plants and watching them grow is incredibly potent, and also a great way to have powerful medicinal plants at our fingertips. There are a handful of amazing healing plants that are great considerations for a home garden.
These are easy to grow, taking little maintenance, and safe to use in a variety of medicinal instances
Mints
Mint is an incredibly easy plant to grow. In fact, it grows like a weed, and if you plant it in an area of your garden, you will likely need to spend time thinning it out each year or it will take over your garden. Both peppermint and spearmint are delicious herbs that are soothing to the digestion and also can be uplifting and energizing. They are great to use in fresh infusions or teas.
Lemon Balm
Actually a part of the mint family, lemon balm is also very easy to grow and can be used in teas and infusions. It is a very relaxing herb, and can help calm the nerves, settle children, or help with sleep. It is also considered to be helpful with memory and to improve alertness.
Calendula
A beautiful spring flower, calendula is a wonderful herb. It can be used in salves or tincture to promote healing of the skin, and serves as a go-to for minor scrapes, cuts, and other wounds of the skin. It is a fairly hearty flower, and does not take a lot of effort to grow.
Yarrow
Usually growing as a weed, yarrow is a multi-purpose herb that can help treat wounds, and stop bleeding or lower a fever. It is a great herb to combine with other herbs in salves for skin wounds, and also can be included in teas to help improve circulation.
With lemon balm, it makes a great tea to calm hyper children.
Rosemary
A very hearty culinary herb, rosemary also helps improve circulation, memory and focus. This herb can be used in tea as well, though it most commonly is used in spicing foods. It can be made into a tincture for a memory aid, and is incredibly safe.
Photo by Miriam Espacio on Unsplash
Razi Berry is the founder and publisher of the journal Naturopathic Doctor News & Review that has been in print since 2005 and the premier consumer-faced website of naturopathic medicine, NaturalPath. She is the host of The Natural Cancer Prevention Summit and The Heart Revolution-Heal, Empower and Follow Your Heart, and the popular 10 week Sugar Free Summer program. From a near death experience as a young girl that healed her failing heart, to later overcoming infertility and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia through naturopathic medicine, Razi has lived the mind/body healing paradigm. Her projects uniquely capture the tradition and philosophy of naturopathy: The healing power of nature, the vital life force in every living thing and the undeniable role that science and mind/body medicine have in creating health and overcoming dis-ease. Follow Razi on Facebook at Razi Berry and join us at Love is Medicine to explore the convergence of love and health.
