If you have a garden, growing medicinal herbs offers you a whole suite of benefits, all at the price of just planting a few lousy seeds! Let’s take a look at some of the principal benefits of growing medicinal herbs outdoors.
Health benefits
Even if you’re more a user of traditional as opposed to alternative medicine, there’s no reason not to also embrace the gentler health benefits of herbs. Herbs have been used for their medicinal properties for literally thousands of years, and particularly for minor ailments and to boost the immune system, they’re hard to beat.
Here are some of the best herbs to grow for medicinal purposes: Echinacea (help activate white blood cells, helps your body fight infection, can protect against viral infections like the common cold); milk thistle (proven in many scientific studies to aid, regulate and strengthen liver function); ginseng (reduces cholesterol and has a protective effect on the liver), and chamomile (an effective, mild cure for insomnia).
Generally, the best way to take medicinal herbs is as an infusion. About ¼ cup of loose fresh herbs per cup of boiling water will usually give you a drink of about the right strength once you have allowed it to steep for 10-15 minutes (you can always adjust it next time if it’s too strong or too weak). If you find a certain herb unpalatable, try adding a lemon-flavored herb into the mix and also a little honey.
Hardy, attractive, easy-to-grow plants for your garden
The majority of medicinal herbs are very non-fussy and easy to grow. Some of them are actually almost too easy to grow, and if unchecked, can take over a garden! They’re also highly resistant to pests, as the whole purpose of their essential oils is to repel bugs and insects (and to deter animals from eating them too).
Personal satisfaction
Medicinal herbs have some obvious benefits. But aside from these (health properties and aesthetic qualities), growing herbs organically in your garden, then harvesting them and using them to improve the health of you and your family is just a pretty hard feeling to beat. There’s no reason you couldn’t purchase herbal preparations from the store and grow flowers in your garden, but doing it yourself (and killing two birds with one stone) is very satisfying. Try it!
Conclusion
People have been growing medicinal herbs, throughout human history. The use of medicinal herbs is mentioned in many ancient texts, including, for example, both the Bible and the Koran. While they are no substitute for mainstream medicine, medicinal herbs can cure common ailments, boast the immune system, look great flowering in your garden, and provide you with a satisfying hobby as well.
Arthur McLay is a herb grower enthusiast and author of the book "The Secrets of Herb Growing". To learn more about growing medicinal herbs, visit www.herbgrowingcenter.com
