Should you grow your own herbs?

Here’s the situation. You're at work, trying to look busy while pondering your coworker Bobbie's cough. 

Ooh, I hope that’s not contagious.

Should I start some Echinacea just to be sure? 

Crap, is my Echinacea in my purse, or did I leave it at home?

Have you been there? 

Then Bobbie is in front of you. You keep your head down. You're not unfriendly, but is it necessary for her to breathe on you?

She waits for you to look up. She has her hand over her mouth, and her chest is heaving. She's struggling to hold back a cough you hope doesn't spray all over you.

"Do you have anything for a cough?" she croaks.

Maybe.

You have the perfect herb at home but worry there might be a problem. You bought it from a really popular seller…

But you've been wondering if that's what any herb is supposed to look like. Or smell like? Because the package you opened had little to no smell. And it looked grey. 

So you technically have it, you just don’t know if it’s any good.

"I'm desperate," Bobbie whispers, breaking you out of your mental meanderings. "I'm willing to try anything."

You're a little offended, but try not to show it.

Why does everyone have to add that little disclaimer? Then it's like you're in a contest with Theraflu for the next few days, and this is soooo not you.

But what if you were right? What if that herb you bought was old, or worse yet, the wrong herb?

 What if Bobbi has some weird reaction to it? What if she sues you? 

 Okay, you remind yourself, get back on track, and make a decision. 

What would you decide? 

How many times have you searched for medicinal herbs online? How many reviews have you read, hoping to find the best herbs for your family?

Who supplies the best herbs?

You.

Your herbs are the best you will find.

Let’s look at a few reasons why.

Quality 

1. The herbs you grow will be fresh or much fresher than the ones you buy. If you've never grown and harvested herbs, you will be shocked at the difference you see.

Here’s an example of Chickweed I purchased from a top-rated seller (top) and Chickweed I dried. (bottom)

Sidenote: Have you ever read that Chickweed doesn't dry well? With the proper technique, you can dry any herb beautifully.

Control of Environment

2. We're all slightly worried about where our herbs come from. How were they grown? What kind of soil was it? Was there a factory next door dumping waste into the water source? Do they have strict guidelines on handling? 

Sometimes you'll see the country of origin on your herb package. One odd question that always pops into my mind is, "Are they required to wash their hands??" (Must be the after-effects of the CDC's Covid recommendations!)

The bottom line is to remember that plants take the good and the bad out of the soil. So when you're in charge of growing conditions, you don't have to ask, "is this organic?"

Connection

 3. The third reason is the connection with your plants. There are a lot of herbalists out there who believe the plants you grow are more in tune with your needs. Whether you believe that or not, you’ll still benefit from spending time with your plants. It’s a way to slow down and destress after a long day.

Nature is the best medicine.

My perennial plants give me hope during the darkest times. I see little signs of my plant friends waiting to return when winter days are short and nights are long. My plants remind me that rest is just as important as work.

Gardening has made me more resilient. Seeing my plants weather the storms of life puts things in perspective and helps me weather my storms.

There are so many lessons to learn in your herb garden. I hope you’ll consider growing a few herbs this year!

Until next time, happy gardening!

Are Medicinal Herbs Hard To Grow?

Hello my herbal friends! Today we look at a common question about medicinal herbs.

Are they hard to grow?

That's a good question, but a bit too broad. Herbs can be like people. Some of them are high maintenance. (You know the type!). Some seem to thrive wherever you put them. Some may never be happy to grow for you.

If you're new to this, two good questions are:

1. Which herbs are easy to grow?

2. Which herbs do you want to use the most?

If you are new to gardening or feeling a little shaky, I suggest starting with native plants. What are the native plants in your area? Get out and take a drive. Are you looking at Red Clover in fields along the way? Do you see Butterfly Weed growing happily on the banks of the interstate?

The weeds in your region usually grow easily in your yard.

Did I say weeds?

Yep, all of our medicinals were weeds somewhere. Think of the dandelions that sprout enthusiastically in your yard year after year. Did you know someone is out there planting dandelions and fretting if they don't grow well? As crazy as it sounds, it’s true.

So back to your drive, another thing to observe is location. For instance, you might see Butterfly Weed or Chicory on the roadside, where you know the soil has to be terrible. What does that mean? Dry soil? Full sun? But then you see great thickets of Elderberry bushes in the partly shady ditches. Part shade? Damper ground?

Trust your observations. Make a point of matching the environment of the healthiest plant you see. Is your ground full of clay? Does it hold water for a long time after it rains? Consider herbs that love moisture, or change your soil by adding sand to help drainage.

Another consideration is your region. If you see that a particular plant takes full sun, ask some questions. Where does this plant grow as a weed? (If you Google the name and use the word “native,” you will see a map of where the plant occurs naturally.)

Your plant might feel a little toasty in Florida if it thrives in full sun in North Dakota. If it is a native plant to a cooler zone, you may want to offer some shade.

Finally, my favorite part. Listen to your plant. As your medicinal garden grows, so will your attunement to your plants. Some plants will be thriving. They are in the perfect spot. Some may be doing okay, but never spreading, or getting bigger. Maybe they rarely bloom. I call this surviving. Move them. We will look in-depth at how to move your plants safely in another post.

As your relationship with your garden grows, you’ll develop an intuition about when and where to put your herbs. The best part is that you’ll be growing your own medicine and feeling good about your progress. Take the first step today!