How To

How to Create a Simple Healing Garden

Plantain is considered a lawn weed, but is wonderful for healing the skin
Plantain is considered a lawn weed, but is wonderful for healing the skin
Contributor
By Barbara Fahs
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

Most medicinal plants are so easy to grow they are considered weeds where they are native. But if we only knew what bounty lies at our feet and along our roadsides! It’s also easy to create a space for many of these small helper plants, even if all you have to offer them is an apartment balcony or a postage stamp-sized back yard. Plants that are good for such spaces include comfrey, plantain, aloe vera, holy basil, mugwort, mullein and many, many others. Specialty seed catalogs offer excellent choices and provide far more variety than the plants that most nurseries sell.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Sunny garden space or nursery pots
  • Potting mix
  • Compost
  • Young plants
  • Water
  1. Step 1

    Because most herbs are very hardy and are considered roadside weeds in many places, they do not require special conditions or rich soil. But to help them along, begin by digging a small amount of compost into the garden area where you plan to plant them.

  2. Step 2

    Dig holes that will fit the rootball. Gently loosen the soil around the roots of each plant to free the root system, which will encourage it to spread out.

  3. Step 3

    Place each plant into its hole and backfill with the soil/compost you dug out in Step 2.

  4. Step 4

    Water all plants thoroughly and protect them from creatures that might be present in your area, such as birds, rabbits, slugs, snails and others.

  5. Step 5

    When your plants grow larger, you can begin making plant medicine from them. For a skin poultice with comfrey, simply simmer several leaves in about 1 quart of water for 20 minutes, allow to cool and then apply a wad of the plant material to any burn, bite, cut or other skin ailment.

Tips & Warnings
  • If you plant late in the day, the hot sun will not stress your newly transplanted young plants.
  • After your plants are established (after one month or more) you can cut back on the amount of water you give them. Many healing herbs are drought tolerant and prefer drier conditions.
  • Plant medicine is serious medicine, so be sure to do your homework and make certain that you know what you’re taking and why you’re taking it. Check the Resources for links to sites that can help guide you as you begin your journey into this fascinating field.
Photo Credit

Drawn by Terry Lee

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