Last week, I planted a pharmacy. Yep, what looks like an old-fashioned herb garden bed is really an old-fashioned apothecary – filled with plants that soothe, strengthen, and support our good health. This year I have sweet basil, French thyme, flat parsley, rosemary, Greek oregano, marjoram, tarragon, garlic, chamomile, and mullein, as well as several varieties of mint, including peppermint and lemon balm. It sounds like a lot but it’s not really. And while it doesn't look like much now, it's going to be a treasured health benefit later.
Before I share the medicinal benefits, there are two practical reasons for growing your own favorite herbs. First, you know what you use in your kitchen and you spend a lot of money on tiny little jars of dried herbs. The cost of a small container of most common herbs is about $5 and they’ve been on a shelf for several months. Fresh herb plants are about $5 each and you can eat fresh herbs all summer and dry some for the winter. If you plant them in pots on your patio, their smells also help deter mosquitos and you’ll have a beautiful patio. That’s reason enough for me, but wait there’s more, and it’s even better! When we cook with fresh, organic herbs we also get a powerhouse of natural wellness benefits. Some of my favorite herbs include rosemary, garlic, oregano and wild mullein, as well as many more in our diet every day.
Rosemary, for example, is believed to support memory and concentration, circulation and provide anti-inflammatory compounds. For me, even on a snowy winter evening, the smell of rosemary conjures up hot, sunny summer days and icy lemonade. That is just the kind of memory support I need to get me through the winter! MedicalNewsToday.com discusses rosemary’s possible role in reducing chronic inflammation, relieving stress, enhancing memory, and supporting overall wellness. Add the taste and it sharpens both the mind and the meal.
And there’s garlic. It repels more than just vampires! Garlic has long been valued as nature’s secret soldier. Eat it to support your immune system, your heart, your blood pressure, and reduce infection. Healthline.com reports that garlic is believed to provide anti-viral protection against the common cold, as well as a long list of other health benefits. Read “11 Proven Benefits of Garlic” for a compelling list of reasons to include a generous amount of garlic in your diet. Think of garlic as your own personal health soldiers, lining up to fight colds and nasty viruses before they attack your immune system.
I also love, love, love Greek oregano. Last summer I planted three types of oregano – Greek, Italian and Spicy. My favorite was Greek oregano. It has a strong distinctive taste, and it also contains the highest concentration of carvacrol content, providing a higher level of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Cleveland Clinic lists potential benefits of oregano as providing anti-oxidants, fighting bacteria, reducing viral infections, reducing inflammation, lowering blood sugar, and other health attributes that we all need to consider.
The last herb I want to share with you is a wild plant. It is Great Mullein and it grows randomly all over Ohio and the entire eastern United States. I cultivate plants in our high tunnel and my flowerbeds. It’s tall, velvety leaves and towering yellow spikes make it a beautiful and useful part of every garden, loved by people and bees! I’ll share information and if anyone is interested in growing it for personal use, please contact me to learn how to do so. Wild Great Mullein has traditionally been used to support healthy lungs and ears. It has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, and recently, during the Covid pandemic generated some interest in today’s pharmaceutical community. Mullein’s use as a tea to act as an expectorant helping to clear mucus, soothe irritation in throat and airways, and provide anti-inflammatory properties is widely recognized as a traditional home remedy, however, there are few current scientific studies available. A good online read is Banner Health’s online blog regarding mullein. I speak from personal experience when I say that I believe every one’s garden needs a couple of mullein plants for possible use in alleviating cold symptoms.
These are just a few of examples of commonly available herbs that can easily be used to improve overall health. Healing doesn’t always come from a bottle or a pill. Sometimes it is right there, growing quietly and waiting for us make use of nature’s gifts. In a world filled with chemicals, stress, and a prescription for every discomfort, there’s something deeply comforting about stepping into the garden and gathering food that nourishes both body and spirit. Healthy food may not cure every illness, but it supports wellness in ways modern life often forgets. I also believe the simple act of tending plants improves mental health, bringing peace, purpose, and connection to the natural world.
As Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
