Dill image by Zsuzsanna Kilian
There are several herbal plants you can grow in your home garden, of both types. Here are 10 such plants; some of them have nutritional values, while others have both nutritional and medicinal values.
Contents
1 Rosemary
Rosemary – the perfect complement to your steak, a wonderful ornamental plant and a great culinary seasoning. To grow rosemary, buy a nursery grown plant instead of germinating from seed level, for better success. Or snip a 2 inch cutting from the new growth of a mature plant and plant it. Keep it away from direct sunlight and give it a daily misting. Rosemary stimulates the brain and increases cognitive functions.
2 Basil
This wonderful herb is fragrant and comes in several types, such as lemon basil, Thai basil and so on. Of these, Holy Basil is used mostly for medicinal purposes; it is antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial. You can grow basil from a sapling in a pot, or buy a nursery plant of this herb. Basil needs a sunny location. You can grow it in well drained pots. Don’t water these plants too much. A late spring frost can ruin this delicate plant.
3 Mint
People use mint in seasonings, to make chutneys and dressings and so on. The menthol in mint cools your digestive system, soothing it. It’s good for stomach cramps, freshens your breath, is a natural diuretic and is also used to relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and colitis. Mint oil is also used to relieve pain due to hemorrhoids. Mint is easy to grow, if spaced 12 inches apart in good, rich soil.
4 Ginger
Who doesn’t use ginger in food preparation? But did you know this herb is also great for the body as a medicine? Ginger aids digestion, is a powerful anti-inflammatory, helps reduces nausea and dyspepsia and also treats viral hepatitis. Buy some ginger root at a store and plant it in a pot or tub, away from direct sunlight. Ginger grows best in a cooler climate.
5 Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is used to make delicious healthful teas. This herb is also a fantastic pest repellant, skin cleanser, acne cleanser, bacteria repellant and antiviral supplement. Lemon balm belongs to the mint family, and has a strong lemony flavor that’s wonderful in a potpourri. It can be grown in well-drained soil under partial shade. It’s easy to grow this plant from seed, as long as you don’t water it too much and keep it fairly dry in winter.
6 Gooseberry
Gooseberry can be used in food, or eaten as a medicine. It makes for a great laxative, appetite stimulant, eye wash and restorative tonic. It has been used successfully to treat indigestion, anorexia, anemia, jaundice and diarrhea. It has high levels of Vitamin C; a few leaves or fruits of this plant and you don’t need Vitamin C supplements.
7 Curry Leaves
Widely used in Asian cooking, curry leaves make a fragrant seasoning. They also help tone body tissues, strengthen the stomach, and can help treat fever, liver disorders, diarrhea, dysentery and certain types of insanity. Grow this plant in well drained soil. You can plant a small sapling in a pot but you’ll have to replant it in soil as it grows bigger. Curry leaf plants can grow quite large and they need space.
8 Turmeric
This herb is used as spice, colorant and as a flavoring agent in seasonings. It has an intriguing taste that people like, apart from extensive medicinal properties, such as hypoglycemic, antiseptic, healing and anti-oxidant. Turmeric finds its use in drugs, cosmetics such as sunscreens and is also a great bio-pesticide. Most of all, turmeric protects our liver from toxic damage. Plant the rhizomes in warm soil. If you live in a cool climate, you can grow turmeric in a glasshouse.
9 Oregano
Plant the oregano seeds inside the house and take the pot outside when it’s a bit warmer. Keep the soil well drained and not too rich. Oregano needs plenty of sun. Oregano is used widely in cooking, especially as an accompaniment to tomato in pasta sauces. Oregano is chock full of vitamins, hands you an antibacterial and antioxidant punch. Oregano is also high in various minerals such as iron and manganese and fiber.
10 Parsley
Plant parsley seeds after soaking them overnight, and plant them in light, well drained soil in early spring. Parsley is known to be anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It helps improve your immune system. Parsley also contains vitamin K, which keeps bones healthy. Parsley is widely used as a seasoning, to add herbage to salads and dishes. It’s also eaten raw in some cultures.
About the author: Kathy Underwood has written this article for retail specialty store where you can shop for authentic beer steins and glassware, garden sundials, decorative wall clock, hall and foyer tables and lot more.