Many gardeners grow herbs for cooking, but there is another aspect to herbs that
can enhance your life as you will find in this herb guide, the medicinal
properties of herbs. Rare herbs are beautiful and useful and it is worth getting
to know what herbs can be used medicinally. This herb guide offers a few of the
many herbs that are beneficial medicinally.
A great herb for the sugar conscious is called Stevia. This plant is a substitute for sugar that tastes somewhat like Equal, without the aftertaste of chemicals. The human body cannot metabolize the glucose in Stevia. Stevia becomes a sweetener that is beneficial to those who must be glucose conscious. Stevia extracts are said to have 300 times the sweetness of sugar. What a great way to incorporate sweetness into your diet and not gain weight from it or raise your blood sugar levels! Stevia can be grown in a pot indoors because it thrives in hot, humid environments. We add this to the herb guide in order to help you find a healthy alternative to sugar.
Lavender, a member of the mint family, is not usually thought of as an herb. Many dishes such as salad dressing, coffee, teas, and chocolate use lavender. The oil of lavender can be used to lessen stings and burns due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Lavender can also be used in relaxation therapy. The scent soothes frazzled nerves and is quite good for the skin due to the antiseptic properties of the oils. Lavender can be used as a bug repellent by rubbing the flowers on the skin. It smells heavenly to humans, but bugs hate it. Lavender grows well in northern climates and is quite hearty. Lavender has long been known for the soothing properties in the oils of the lavender. This herb guide includes lavender to enhance your relaxation and your mood.
Garlic chives are delightful in that the herb combines two well known flavors, garlic and chives. The garlic is complemented by the oniony chive flavor that is present. This herb can be used as a super substitute for garlic, especially in a salad. Garlic chives have an added feature as well; it is a deterrent to garden pests. The herb guide highly recommends this for an organic alternative to pesticides!
Valerian, a hardy perennial has sweetly scented pink flowers. This flowering herb blooms in the northern hemisphere from June to September. Valerian stimulates phosphorus around growing plants. Tea made of Valerian leaves can be used as a spray to help promote disease resistant plants and attract earthworms to aerate the soil. Valerian is used as a mild sedative to promote calming effects. The herb guide recommends that a doctor be sought to evaluate the effect Valerian might have interacting if an individual is taking other medications.
The tall herb Lovage is used in salads at fancy restaurants because of the delightful taste is a 'must add' to the herb guide. Lovage tastes like sweet celery and enhances a salad greatly. This plant is a perennial and survives the winter to return in the spring. Lovage grows to a height of six feet and is very hardy. Lovage is often found in aphrodisiacs, or love potions, hence the name. The herb guide would not be complete without Lovage.
As a medicinal plant, it is hard to beat St.John's Wort as a treatment for depression. This hardy plant comes back every year. Though this plant is invasive to other plants, it is easily contained by potting it. St. John's Wort is often dried to be used as a tea. The traditional harvest day for St. John's Wort is June 24, St. John's Day. In large doses St. John's Wort has been known to cause adverse reactions in farm animals. The herb guide cautions against using this medicinal plant without the advice of a doctor or a holistic practitioner.
Next to come in the herb guide, Comfrey. Comfrey is propagated by root cuttings due to the sterility of the plant. Strong growing plants have offsets that can be separated from the parent plant and planted individually. It should be cautioned that comfrey can cause liver ailments if over used or used improperly. Known as knit bone, comfrey speeds up the natural production of body cells. The organic gardener values comfrey as a fertilizer.
The Japanese root, Gobo is also known as Burdock and not often mentioned in herbal guides. The root and leaves are edible and is somewhat like spinach in the leaves. The older roots are cooked while the younger roots can be eaten uncooked. Gobo is best known to provide herbal healing in the assistance with indigestion, arthritis, rheumatism, some skin and nervous disorders. Gobo is also said to remove toxins that have built up in the system. The herb guide recommends that Gobo be used in recommended dosages that can be found in most herbal healing guides.
Leopard's Bane is found wild in several areas of Europe. This protected species in the wild can be grown at home in your herbal garden. The topical application of this herb to areas on the skin has been said to be quite beneficial. Individuals that have acne skin disorders, burns, or discomfort in joints find Leopard's Bane to be helpful. The herb guide cautions the user to be sparing with the tincture until it is determined if the user has an allergy or other adverse reaction to this tincture.
The selections of herbs that one can grow are many and the uncommon herb guide lists just a few that can add beauty, practical medicinal application and culinary treasures to your life.Herb gardens are started with the old stand-bys that are used in cooking to make your foods taste better such as basil, parsley and sage.
A great herb for the sugar conscious is called Stevia. This plant is a substitute for sugar that tastes somewhat like Equal, without the aftertaste of chemicals. The human body cannot metabolize the glucose in Stevia. Stevia becomes a sweetener that is beneficial to those who must be glucose conscious. Stevia extracts are said to have 300 times the sweetness of sugar. What a great way to incorporate sweetness into your diet and not gain weight from it or raise your blood sugar levels! Stevia can be grown in a pot indoors because it thrives in hot, humid environments. We add this to the herb guide in order to help you find a healthy alternative to sugar.
Lavender, a member of the mint family, is not usually thought of as an herb. Many dishes such as salad dressing, coffee, teas, and chocolate use lavender. The oil of lavender can be used to lessen stings and burns due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Lavender can also be used in relaxation therapy. The scent soothes frazzled nerves and is quite good for the skin due to the antiseptic properties of the oils. Lavender can be used as a bug repellent by rubbing the flowers on the skin. It smells heavenly to humans, but bugs hate it. Lavender grows well in northern climates and is quite hearty. Lavender has long been known for the soothing properties in the oils of the lavender. This herb guide includes lavender to enhance your relaxation and your mood.
Garlic chives are delightful in that the herb combines two well known flavors, garlic and chives. The garlic is complemented by the oniony chive flavor that is present. This herb can be used as a super substitute for garlic, especially in a salad. Garlic chives have an added feature as well; it is a deterrent to garden pests. The herb guide highly recommends this for an organic alternative to pesticides!
Valerian, a hardy perennial has sweetly scented pink flowers. This flowering herb blooms in the northern hemisphere from June to September. Valerian stimulates phosphorus around growing plants. Tea made of Valerian leaves can be used as a spray to help promote disease resistant plants and attract earthworms to aerate the soil. Valerian is used as a mild sedative to promote calming effects. The herb guide recommends that a doctor be sought to evaluate the effect Valerian might have interacting if an individual is taking other medications.
The tall herb Lovage is used in salads at fancy restaurants because of the delightful taste is a 'must add' to the herb guide. Lovage tastes like sweet celery and enhances a salad greatly. This plant is a perennial and survives the winter to return in the spring. Lovage grows to a height of six feet and is very hardy. Lovage is often found in aphrodisiacs, or love potions, hence the name. The herb guide would not be complete without Lovage.
As a medicinal plant, it is hard to beat St.John's Wort as a treatment for depression. This hardy plant comes back every year. Though this plant is invasive to other plants, it is easily contained by potting it. St. John's Wort is often dried to be used as a tea. The traditional harvest day for St. John's Wort is June 24, St. John's Day. In large doses St. John's Wort has been known to cause adverse reactions in farm animals. The herb guide cautions against using this medicinal plant without the advice of a doctor or a holistic practitioner.
Next to come in the herb guide, Comfrey. Comfrey is propagated by root cuttings due to the sterility of the plant. Strong growing plants have offsets that can be separated from the parent plant and planted individually. It should be cautioned that comfrey can cause liver ailments if over used or used improperly. Known as knit bone, comfrey speeds up the natural production of body cells. The organic gardener values comfrey as a fertilizer.
The Japanese root, Gobo is also known as Burdock and not often mentioned in herbal guides. The root and leaves are edible and is somewhat like spinach in the leaves. The older roots are cooked while the younger roots can be eaten uncooked. Gobo is best known to provide herbal healing in the assistance with indigestion, arthritis, rheumatism, some skin and nervous disorders. Gobo is also said to remove toxins that have built up in the system. The herb guide recommends that Gobo be used in recommended dosages that can be found in most herbal healing guides.
Leopard's Bane is found wild in several areas of Europe. This protected species in the wild can be grown at home in your herbal garden. The topical application of this herb to areas on the skin has been said to be quite beneficial. Individuals that have acne skin disorders, burns, or discomfort in joints find Leopard's Bane to be helpful. The herb guide cautions the user to be sparing with the tincture until it is determined if the user has an allergy or other adverse reaction to this tincture.
The selections of herbs that one can grow are many and the uncommon herb guide lists just a few that can add beauty, practical medicinal application and culinary treasures to your life.Herb gardens are started with the old stand-bys that are used in cooking to make your foods taste better such as basil, parsley and sage.
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