Herbal What herbs do you have planted?

[moldy]

I have a limited number of raised beds for my herbs, so I"m trying to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of. I have horseradish, horehound (nobody warned me it will spread like mint!), mint, lemon balm, marshmallow, garlic, chamomile, mallow, and burdock. Thinking of getting rid of the burdock, or transplanting it to the pasture if DH will let me.

Suggestions from all of you would be greatly appreciated.

 

[spinner]

A great deal depends on what your focus is, culinary, medicinal, fragrance, etc. I used to have an extensive multi-use herb garden, but as I have gotten older I have pared it down to just a small herb garden with herbs I use most or like best.

I have gone from about 80 different herbs to 25 or so. The ones I have kept are basil, parsley, thyme, garlic chives, chives rosemary, mint, dill, winter savory, cilantro, sage, burnet, lemon verbena, lemon balm, thyme, lemon thyme, horehound, oregano, tarragon, lady's mantle, calendula, borage, catnip and probably a couple more I have forgotten. I would have chamomile, but it just doesn't grow well for me. I have horseradish, but never counted it as an herb. It is a border on my vegetable garden. Comfrey is another one I have, but it is planted in an out of the way corner. Sweet Woodruff is another one that is planted out of the way. I have a bee balm that is struggling where once it nearly took over, tansy, too.

Some of the useful herbs grow wild if you have a place to forage for them it saves garden space. Coltsfoot, yarrow, clover, thyme, mint, mullein, and bee balm are a few that come to mind.

What do you want to focus on in your garden?

 

[Homesteader]

Not sure if it is classified as an herb, but I have lovage. You have to make sure you cut off the seed stocks or it will really spread. I harvest and dry the leaves for a celery substitute in soups.

 

[moldy]

Mostly medicinal. I grow basil in my garden every year, but it has a spot with the tomatoes and eggplant. I need to get some mint planted around our grain bins.

 

[spinner]

Just off the top of my head a few to consider are lavender, sage, calendula, feverfew, thyme, comfrey, lungwort, lady's mantle, passion flower, hops, echinacea, arnica, garlic, yarrow and if you have a place for them willow and elderberry would be good to have. A complete list would have a lot more, but that is just what I can think of at the moment.

I seriously advise you to do a lot of research on medicinal herbs and their uses. It is not just a simple thing to plant an herb and when there is a sudden need go pick a leaf or two. I started learning about herbs 45 years ago and I am still learning. You should take into consideration what kind of medical needs you expect to encounter and learn which herbs are indicated for that condition and how to prepare them. Some remedies are fairly simple such as a cup of mint tea for a little indigestion or some lavender infused oil for a mild headache, it is always good to know that yarrow leaves can be used to stop bleeding but you have to know what herbs are for what condition, in what preparation and how much.

There are many excellent books on herbs, check your local library for the really reliable ones. There is a lot of conflicting information especially on the internet and some of it can be dangerous while some of it is just ridiculous. Check everything three times and use good judgement and care in your use of medicinal herbal preparations. You could just stick to the simple, tried and true ones if you don't have the inclination to study them.

 

[moldy]

I've been trying to find as many German E Commission books translated to English that I can find. I've found they list the active compounds and they are explained in a way I can understand. But you are so right - there is much to learn, and even some books I find unreliable (like one that states nightshade is OK in small amounts - yeah, no thanks!).

Spinner, do you have suggestions as to titles or authors?

I would love to plant more, but I have to watch that what I plant is not toxic to cattle - or something they really like!

 

[spinner]

moldy,

The first one I thought of was " The Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs." I like the Rodale book " The Woman's Book of Healing Herbs" for how to prepare herbal remedies.

I don't like any that are too technical and practically require a degree in pharmacology to understand them. Herbal remedies were in use long before anyone analyzed the chemical make up of them and sometimes I think we go too far with the science of a thing instead of just using centuries old knowledge. Many times it is the entire herb that is the healing agent and not just a single aspect of that herb. An example of this is taking the allicin from garlic when it really works better as a whole.

Maybe this approach would not work as well for you. We each need to find our own way. I like the body, mind and spirit approach with a more natural, gentle focus.

Nightshades are not for me, either. Maybe in a commercial homeopathic preparation, but I am not going to go out and eat a bunch of nightshade berries or make a tea of foxglove even though they have legitimate medical applications. I am not qualified to use those plants or many others equally valuable and equally dangerous. Some books are a bit too cavalier about using poisonous plants and I shy away from them, too.

The Peterson field guide gives warnings about toxicity.