The Medicinal Garden A garden space alone is medicinal as the greenery, extra oxygen and aromas provide a safe haven for rest and relaxation. Yet there are ways to propel a garden to a new level, incorporating plants you can use for medicinal purposes to treat a myriad of ailments.

Here are a few plants I grow to treat everyday complaints: Lavender Did you know lavender takes its name from the Latin “lavere” which means to wash as even the Romans understood its ability to clean and disinfect! Now used in soaps, oils and many luxurious products you can grow it for your own benefit. The leaves and flowers makes a calming tea, similar to chamomile but more flavoursome, while the petals can be added to any savoury or sweet dish to add colour and depth of flavour. Echinacea Echinacea is renowned for its immune boosting properties as many take it as a supplement to cure the common cold. You can benefit from the attractive flowers and the medicinal benefits by growing it in your garden. Simply make into a tea when you need it!

Conkers

The standard conker tree has many medicinal benefits as for centuries the conkers have not only been used in school playgrounds but ground into a paste to cure varicose veins! You may need a big garden to benefit, or you can use up the conkers your children collect every autumn!

Eucalyptus

The eucalyptus tree although native to Australia will actually grow well in an English garden if in full sun and brought in if temperatures drop below zero degrees.

The oil can be poisonous to digest so avoid this at all costs however the leaves can be ground to release an oil that will alleviate a stuffy nose.

The Globe Artichoke

The Globe artichoke not only adds an exotic flavour to any garden it is incredibly easy to grow. The large leaves are used in a range of medicinal applications from cleansing the liver to a tincture for soothing tired bones!

Thuja

Thuja is used as a herbal treatment for warts and verrucae and you can easily grow your own. It grows like a small conifer and the leaves can easily be made into a topical tincture you can apply.

Black Cohosh

Used to treat a variety of feminine complaints from hot flushes to period pain, black cohosh is very easy to grow. You can dry the roots before making a tea by infusing them in hot water for five minutes.

There are many other plants that offer medicinal applications, many of which are weeds that we often can’t wait to get rid of such as chickweed and dandelion!

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