Medicinal Garden

[Farmfresh]

If you plant herbs and just keep clipping them off and allowing them to grow back through out the year you can get quite a bit of herbs out of just one big old flowerpot.

I used to grow fresh basil in a window box over the kitchen sink and just harvest as I needed it with scissors. I always left an inch or so of each plant so that it could regrow after it's haircut.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I have been growing medicinal herbs for many years. I don't have them in one spot, but just in whatever spots I can find or seems right for them. some i managed to grow and keep going for a while and then they'd die out, usually because someone helpfull came along and pulled out my "weeds".
Since so many plants are dual purpose, I find it is more important to know, which part you need to harvest for medicinal use and how and when. And then you need to know how to process or store it for the best usage.

I try to add a few new ones every year as well as re-growing the ones that I used to have.
I found some St John's wort at my daughters and got some of the seeds. I will plant them this fall. I got horehound started last spring in several locations. I will now have to read my herbals on just how to make horehound candy.
I make blends of tea for winter cold season. I make oils, and salves and tinctures.

Here is one must have in a medicinal herb garden: calendula. I harvest the flower petals and use it to make a skin ointment.
This lovely flower self sows once it is established in your garden. It is an annual. It is a lovely cut flower and looks pretty in the garden. It is also a good companion plant in the vegetable garden.
It can also be used to dye foods a pretty orangey gold color.

 

[PunkinPeep]

That makes a lot of sense, Farmfresh, thank you.

FarmerDenise, how may i download your knowledge please? I want to make oils and ointments and whatnot. Where did you learn all this?

 

[sylvie]

sylvie, would you share which herbs you chose?

Ginseng and Goldenseal, Wintergreen, Angelica and Witch Hazel.

 

[Maggies Pop]

FarmerDenise, thanks for the great response!

I am so excited to get mine started too. I recently sub'd to the magazine The Herb Companion. It's a great source.