E. purpurea has been grown as an ornamental in flower gardens for more than 200 years. The Plains Indians used narrow-leaved purple coneflower ( E. angustifolia), a common prairie species, as medicine more than they did any other plant. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this species was widely touted as a blood purifier and “cure for what ails you.” Sales of echinacea preparations were brisk through the 1920s, even among physicians, but the herb fell into disuse soon after the introduction of sulfa drugs and a shift from plant preparations to synthetic drugs. You don’t need to plant herbs in large barrels, but a roomy container is necessary for longevity. Otherwise, you’ll get a few weeks worth of life from your new fragrant friend and eventually it will start to look worse for wear. Some herbs are available in dwarf varieties and can survive in miniature containers, but generally, a pot should be at least6-inches in diameter, and that’s the bare minimum. I’m sharing my favorite 20 best herbs you sh But I do like Echinacea too. Again, actually it makes very pretty flowers and bouquets. It's really easy to grow and the only thing with Echinacea is a lot of times, people think that you only can harvest the roots or that all the medicinal properties are in the roots. Now, it's the strongest medicinal properties are in the roots, and you do need to wait until the plant is about two to three years old for the roots to be large enough that you can take part of them or large enough to bother harvesting so you don't harvest everything. But actually, the aerial parts of the flower and the leaves, all of those, if you take them when they're fresh to make an alcohol tincture out of them when they're fresh, they do have medicinal properties. I use yarrow as a garden first-aid station. Whenever I cut myself while working outdoors, I wash the cut thoroughly (yarrow doesn’t inhibit the growth of bacteria), then crush some yarrow leaves or flowers in the palm of my hand, and apply them to the cut. Yarrow can also be used in a salve or poultice for minor cuts and wounds. The bleeding usually stops immediately.

Maddie: So, I started totally from scratch last year. I have a little bit of lemon balm that I planted last spring and some peppermint, some parsley that'll be coming in for its second year. Really, that's about it for the herb side of things. I'm really looking this year to try and make that my main focus aside from the vegetable garden and really put a lot of my time and effort into making that the main focus this year. Melissa: That's a really good question. Probably, I wish I wouldn't have waited so long, quite honestly. And I know that might sound like a [inaudible 00:42:06] answer, but it's really true. I wish I had started with the herbs much sooner, not just because I want them for the medicinal properties, but they're so pretty. There's just something really soothing and I just found whenever I was outside, I just love being in the herb garden in a way that's different than the vegetable garden. And I don't know if it's because the vegetable garden I've had since I was really an infant. I mean, I grew up in a vegetable garden and we didn't have a flower medicinal regret. I don't know. I get so much joy from it.Our dream seeds can only germinate and thrive when we have adequate energy to tend the seeds once they have sprouted from the ground. It may be better to start slow and grow than to begin too big for your britches. The aim is to stay inspired and find joy in this blessed opportunity! There are many easy-to-grow, easy-to-use herbs that you can harvest and prepare to treat minor illnesses. Every medicinal garden should include chamomile, yarrow, lemon balm, echinacea and peppermint. These five basics are safe and effective for the vast majority of people when used as simple teas, poultices or salves. Echinacea: Super Immune-Booster STEVEN FOSTER is a best-selling author, photographer, consultant, and herbalist with 40 years of comprehensive experience in the herbal field. He started his career at the Sabbathday Lake, Maine, Shaker’s Herb Department—America’s oldest herb business dating to 1799. Plants and seeds of E. purpurea are widely available from nurseries and seed houses. The seeds germinate readily, or plants can be easily propagated by dividing the roots. This species does well in any well-drained garden soil, will tolerate up to half shade, and is remarkably drought-resistant. On the other hand, plants and seeds of E. angustifolia are harder to find, and the seeds germinate much less readily. Maddie: Right. Do they grow good? I feel like I've seen it somewhere or heard it or read it or something, maybe in forested areas.

There are exceptions to everything, of course, and in this case some medicinal herbs are fairly easy to start from seed, including calendula, holy basil ( Ocimum sanctum), fennel, California poppy ( Eschscholzia californica), and borage* ( Borago officinalis). Once you have a garden bed or container prepped, direct sow the seeds after the last frost date. Poppies will germinate even better if you sow them in fall, as they like to go through the cold of winter. The berries of the elder shrub are a traditional food and tonic remedy for many cold-season ailments, including influenza and the common cold. Elderberries possess antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. They are high in vitamin C, anthocyanins, and other flavonoids. Along with other richly hued foods, elderberries are a preventative for arterial deterioration, heart disease, and atherosclerosis.Delicate anise flavour, leaves used fresh in salads or in French cooking; flowers and roots are also edible Bergamot –This is a newer medicinal herb to me, but it grows incredibly beautiful flowers. Because I knew it also had medicinal benefits, I figured it would make a great addition to the Farmstay herb garden. Native Americans ground bergamot into a powder and rubbed it on their head to relieve headaches. The powder was also rubbed over the body to cure fever and as a remedy for sore eyes and colds. ( Source)

Have you ever wondered which medicinal herbs are the best ones to start growing in your healing garden, but felt overwhelmed and just didn't know where to begin? There are SO many great herbs with useful properties that you can grow to create your very own medicinal herb garden. Maddie: So, it's all over the board, which is part of why it made it harder for me to decide where to start because my husband has chronic allergies that he has since he was an infant and asthma that's brought on by the allergies. So, there's that condition. And then with me, I'm still nursing our little ones, so there's a lot of herbs that I just can't take being a nursing mom. And then, we're wanting to have more kids, so I'm sure there will be other times when I'm expecting. So, it's kind of like, "Well, anything I can give him, I have to really be careful with me because I can't take a lot of things." But it's really good. It's one that a lot of people will use if they're having allergies that they'll use to try to help aid with that, and it's got a ton of really good nutrients to it. In fact, it's higher than spinach. I know we tend to think of spinach and stuff like that, which they are really great for you and have a lot of good things, but nettles are really, really high. And so, once you cook them or put them into a tea, they no longer sting. So, we actually, in the springtime, the only caveat is you do want to harvest the leaves when they are young. You don't want to wait until the plant has went to flower and gotten really large, so in the springtime, but just wear gloves and they are great. Energy. Knowing your energy level in combination with the time and resources you have can give you a realistic compass for planning your herb garden. And remember, inspiration has a way of fueling energy. Evaluating and then prioritizing my energy has made it possible for me to materialize many dreams! Starting and maintaining a medicinal herb garden takes effort, so be real with yourself. Also take note of soils that may be overly clayey or sandy. If this seems to be the case, adding organic matter will vastly improve your forest garden potential. Good options for organic matter include pine bark fines, compost, and homemade leaf mold.I will saute them with a little bit of butter and garlic and then do a fried egg over easy on top for breakfast, really fabulous that way. You can add them into, of course, soups and stews. The key is you just want to make sure they're cooked. I wouldn't try eating them raw just because nobody would want to get stung. NOTE: Those allergic to the pollen of other aster family members such as ragweed may also be allergic to chamomile. Yarrow: First Aid in the Garden Valerian– Valerian will grow very tall, and you want to get it established so you can harvest the roots and rhizomes. “Historically, valerian was used to treat insomnia, migraine, fatigue, and stomach cramps. Today, valerian is promoted for insomnia, anxiety, depression, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), menopause symptoms, and headaches.” ( Source) Leaves are cut in spring and summer for using fresh or dried; seeds harvested in summer for use dried, all widely used in cooking, especially Scandinavian cookery Annual plants complete their life cycle in one growing season. They are reliant on seeds for their survival, and as a result they tend to be prolific self-seeders. So, although annual herbs such as German chamomile, calendula and California poppy only live for one season, they can easily be encouraged to return year after year simply by allowing the seeds to mature and fall onto the beds where they have grown.