Photo Credit: horrigans via Compfight cc
I have a confession to make. Gardening does not come natural for me. I really do plant seeds, but planting them and getting them to come up and hang around are 2 different things. {I also really do can produce, but it’s typically bounty from a neighbors generous garden 😉 }.
I currently have 3 medicinal plants growing successfully in my yard. Three is better than none, right? Please agree so I’ll feel better about myself. 🙂
Oh I’ve poured over some of the best gardening books available, and I am a huge believer in using heirloom seeds and purchasing from only the best sources. And while I am not making any vows to never buy a hybrid seed, I do practice what I preach. I only buy heirloom or organic seeds. But using the right kind of seeds does not automatically give a person a natural knack for gardening. So I found out.
My lack of a green thumb does not mean that I don’t enjoy gardening, because I do. It just means that I have to work harder at it than many of you all. Sometimes my plants just don’t come up. Sometimes the seeds are pecked by the chickens before they even have a chance at life. Sometimes the plants are eaten by deer or squirrels once they do come up. And sometimes I do something really dumb like forget to water the plants for a few days when the weather is really hot and dry. Yikes!
Despite my gardening expertise, I am a determined woman and I keep plowing away here and there around the yard, insisting that plants grow for me. Especially herbs. I think flowers are beautiful, and I love having fresh garden produce and canning jars of it for winter use, but if I can only master growing one thing, let it be herbs.
I currently purchase most of my herbs from the Bulk Herb Store to make medicines, but my goal is to plant as many plants as possible so that my medicine is FREE! 🙂
If you see me posting articles and photos this summer of these herbs growing, you will know I’ve had success. And if I’m silent on the subject, you’ll know I’m back to pouring over my gardening books to gain more knowledge, and trying extra tricks to keep the critters from eating my plants before I do. 😉
The 3 herbs I started out with and are growing successfully are:
Below is the list of 9 herbs I’m adding this Spring. And who knows, I may find some plants at a local farmer’s market to add to my garden this year.
Peppermint is easy to grow, but somehow mine managed to die. I believe this plant was over-watered instead of the other way around. It just did not survive. Peppermint is sold abundantly this month at my local farmer’s market, so I plan to pick up a small starter of it this month and transplant it along the back of the house.
Used for the throat, urinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract.
Yarrow is one of my favorite herbs for fevers. It helps respiratory conditions, circulation, and muscle aches.
Chamomile has a lovely smell similar to apples. It is a nervine and digestive herb.
Good for asthma, allergies, congestion, and bronchitis.
Good for the nervous system, pain relief, burns, and acne.
Helpful for the ears, skin, and respiratory tract.
Echinacea just did not come up for me at all when I planted it last. I’m re-planting it this year alongside one of its planting friends, mullein, underneath my living room windows.
If any of you are bikers out there, you are probably thinking nettle!? Why would you want to plant nettle!? The stings of nettle are a bikers nightmare, but the plant is an herbalist’s dream! 🙂
Nettle is perfect to take during pregnancy and is a great diuretic for anyone. It’s also very nutritious. Cooking or drying nettle deactivates the stings, and there’s nothing like making a nettle infusion, tea, or tincture to give yourself amazing nutrition. If we ever face a famine {I certainly hope not, but I’m one of those prepare-for-the-worst kind of people}, having nettle growing a few yards away will come in great handy!
Nettle spreads all over the place and can provide many days of nutrition. I’m not waiting for a famine to take advantage of this herb though. I like to add it to our diets on a regular basis now!
Gardening does NOT come naturally for me either, Jill! I do not have my mama’s green thumb!
Thanks for sharing this post… I had to chuckle because I can SO relate! I am attempting to grow an herb garden, so I appreciated reading what you’re planting. So far, I just have cilantro, lavender, and parsley in my herb garden area. I have visions of Pinterest-inspired gardens in my head, but right now I’m just happy that I haven’t killed my little plants yet! 😉
I have garden visions as well! I’m slowly getting there! 🙂
And so glad I’m not the only herb-lover that doesn’t have a green thumb. 😉