ENJOY MEDICINAL HERBS IN YOUR GARDEN

Transcription

1 ENJOY MEDICINAL HERBS IN YOUR GARDEN WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED BY ORIAN JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY GERRY JOHNSON

2 ENJOY MEDICINAL HERBS IN YOUR GARDEN All rights reserved; no part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the author/publisher; except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. The information in this book is for informational purposes only and nothing contained herein should be considered as professional or medical advice. Please consult a professional or certified acupuncturist, herbalist or medical practitioner for medical or herbal treatment. Thank You. 2nd Edition 2014 COPYRIGHT 2014 ORIAN JOHNSON

3 Prologue 1. Anise Hyssop 2. Borage 3. California Poppy 4. Chamomile 5. Essay of Chamomile 6. Comfrey 7. Echinacea 8. Evening Primrose 9. Feverfew 10. Ginkgo 11. Lemon Balm 12. Mugwort 13. Mullein 14. Nettle 15. Rosemary 16. Essay of the Spirit Of lavender 17. St John's Wort 18. Sweet Violet 19. Essay of Purple Sisters 20. Valerian 21. Yarrow 22. Garden Elf Epilogue TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 This book is dedicated to our first garden that we co-created with nature. Thank you for your teachings, your beauty, your magic, and all the gifts you gave us so freely and generously.

5 PROLOGUE Once upon a time, two people, a man and a woman, came together and created a very large medicinal herbal garden on a farm. Their intent was to create something very beautiful with the help of nature, the land, and the elements. The fairies, the plants spirits and divas were invited to this garden too and they must have responded because very soon the plants were flourishing and thriving so lavishly and abundantly. The woman chose very carefully the plants and the seeds and took care of their fragile growth and their placement in the garden. The man watered, weeded, pruned and nurtured the garden consistently. In the garden there were little rooms created with borders of stone and placement of chairs. Little paths led through and under flowering trellises finding secret places within the garden. Sounds of water tinkled from a fountain and light reflected off glass objects and crystals. Over a hundred different herbs grew amongst many ornamental plants, including a cherry tree and black bamboo. Birds flew here and perched there and hummingbirds high on sugar nectar zoomed between the plants. A lovely green house built by the man, stood outside the garden to better protect and take care of the plant babies. The garden enclosed with a tall dear fence became green and colorful with the growth of Passion Vines. As the years went by it became a secret garden, only revealing itself when the garden gate opened. This man and woman spent every weekend and every free hour in the garden. They learnt a great deal about themselves, each other and the world of plants. She would choose different flowering herbs to meditate next to, and then she would draw them and then later at home find out their medicinal usage. He would photograph the plants she studied and both of them bore witness to the amazing miracle of growth from seed to plant then back to seed again. Time went on and one day the man and the woman were married in the garden, in the presence of a few friends and the woman's son. They continued to work and care for the garden for many years watching in wonder as it evolved, changed, grew and grew. Then the day arrived when it was time to leave and say goodbye to their Garden of Eden and they closed the garden gate behind them for the very last time. It was a painful moment. This short book of essays, writings and photos of medicinal herbs is all that remains from that time when they spent every possible moment in their garden. Return to The Beginning.

6 1. ANISE HYSSOP (Agastache foeniculum) (Not Gerry's photo) Anise Hyssop is an attractive plant standing two to three feet tall in the garden. It stands very erect holding out its large terminal purple flower spikes like beautiful candles beckoning the busy honeybees, bumblebees and of course the hummingbirds. When it disappears from the garden as it does from time to time, I am always very aware of its absence. This plant is a native to North America and was a traditional medicinal herb of the Native Americans. It became popular with the early colonists, as it is a beneficial plant to have in the garden attracting the bees and giving an aniseed flavor to honey. This is not surprising since the leaves and flowers taste quite strongly of anise. It is a member of the large Labiatae family of plants, which includes all the mints and sages. Two main characteristics of this group are the square shaped stem and opposite arranged leaves. Anise Hyssop which is not the same as the regular Hyssop plant has leaves that look like catmint but larger. It is a short-lived perennial that although is hardy, will not withstand prolonged frost or temperatures below twenty degrees. I understand now why it disappears from my garden from time to time, since we occasionally get cold night temperatures in the winter here on the coast of California. One can bag the seed heads to capture the ripening seeds in summer and if need be you can sew seeds again after the cold winter temperatures are over in the spring. It is an easy plant to care for, as long as it has rich, moist soil and sun. It looks terrific

7 growing in the back of a bed. The bold purple flowers will last all summer from June through September. The parts used for medicinal and culinary purposes are the leaves and flowers. The leaves have antibacterial properties and can alleviate coughs and colds by making a tea from fresh or dried leaves. The leaves add flavoring to cooked meat dishes and in particular pork, as well as salads and drinks. The dried flowers are great for flower arrangements as they keep their color and fragrance. Anise Hyssop is such an attractive plant, delighting the eye and giving beauty, fragrance and precious food in the form of nectar and pollen to the bees and hummingbirds in the garden. Return to The Beginning.

8 2. BORAGE (Borago officinalis) Borage, once planted in your garden, is sure to be there for a long, long time, as it will rebirth itself again and again. It is an attractive plant with its deep blue, pink starshaped, flowers that are always in bloom year round and drape themselves on droopy stems held about two to three feet from the ground. On a wet morning, the dew sparkles and glistens around the protruding buds appearing mystical and magical, awaiting the drone of the bees for they dearly love their Borage flowers. How Borage obtained its name is not quite clear. The Welsh called it Llanwenlys meaning herb of gladness. The ancient Celts called it barrach or man of courage. Today it is still associated with courage by herbalists. It is a very cheerful plant to have in your garden and four hundred years ago, it was a plant prescribed not surprisingly for the maladies of melancholy. Borage is native to the Mediterranean region from Spain to Turkey and became later naturalized in most parts of Europe and many other parts of the world. It loves the sun and does not appear to be fussy about the soil. Grow Borage near a patch of strawberries and it will help to stimulate the growth of each other and planted near tomatoes, Borage will help to control tomato worm. It is definitely a beneficial plant to have in a garden but it does self seed very easily. The leaves and stem are rough and hairy yet quite edible in small quantities. Cutting open the stem reveals a hollow moist tube that smells and tastes like cucumber. You can add young, finely chopped leaves to salads, yogurt, soft cheese and sandwiches. The flowers are edible and look incredible

9 in salads, drinks and decorative on cakes. It is very enjoyable to pick these beautiful flowers and nibble on them while strolling through a garden. The leaves used as a tea, will stimulate the circulation and soothe the throat. It makes a mild expectorant due to the mucilage content, and eases bronchial infections. Poultices of the leaves are helpful when applied to sore and inflamed skin. The flowers encourage sweating and the leaves are diuretic. The seed oil is rich in polyunsaturated fats (GLA) and is superior in this respect to Evening Primrose Oil. Borage seed oil can treat premenstrual complaints, rheumatic problems, eczema and other chronic skin conditions. Due to the presence of toxic alkaloids in Borage, it might be wise not to eat or drink too much Borage but this does not apply to the Borage seed oil. It has a high content of calcium, potassium and mineral salts which research has suggested works on the adrenal glands where courage begins, for after all this is the essence of Borage. Return to The Beginning.