Medical Kit in Your Own Backyard!

A weeds, a weed right? Wrong.

Your very own back garden could secretly be hoarding an array of herbs and roots which could help to improve your health and well-being. The very same herbs that you go browsing the shelves to buy every single day!

So before you go tearing up your weeds this spring, stop for a moment to see if you have got any hidden herbal gems hiding in your garden.

What’s hiding in my garden?

Now I’m not saying you’ll find all of these in your garden, but use one of Baldwin’s many herbal books as a guide (I used ‘The Yoga of Herbs’ by Dr David Frawley) and I’m pretty sure that what you mistook for a weed is secretly a herb.

Here are some of your more common garden herbs:

  1. Shepherd’s purse – the top half of this plant after it has formed ‘heart-shaped purses’ i.e. seed pods can be used to make a tincture to stop bleeding. This is particularly helpful if you suffer from heavy periods. Simply have 1ml four times a day.
  2. Cleavers – you might have to venture outside your garden for this sticky plant as it is usefully found on the edges of cultivated land. Now the whole of this plant is reputed to strengthen your lymphatic system and relieve tender swollen breasts, PMS and allergies. I recommend using 2/3 of the plant whilst it is flowering and making a tincture using alcohol.
  3. Chickweed – this one has got many uses including dissolving cysts, and improving your thyroid and weight loss and can easily be added to your every day salad.
  4. Daisy – who would have thought that a daisy can be used to relieve headaches, muscle pain and allergies, but it can. To use take its leaves and flowers to make a tincture (using alcohol) and have 1ml twice a day.
  5. Dandelion – you might think of dandelions as a weed, but they are one of best known medicinal herbs in the world. You can use any part of this plant to make a tincture which will strengthen your liver, relieve gas, heartburn and indigestion, and improve bowel movements.
  6. Dock – also known as yellow dock, curly dock and broad dock, this plant is quite good for treating PMS, period cramping and balancing your hormones.
  7. Mallows – these are more common in neglected gardens. Now each part has got its own benefits. Rich in sticky mucilage once soaked overnight you can use it to ease sore throats, upset stomachs, heartburn, colic, constipation and food poisoning. But this is not all it can do, externally (when used as a poultice) it can relieve bug bites, burns and sprains.
  8. St John’s Wart – whether you use its flower heads to make an oil or a tincture, this plant has got numerous benefits i.e. improves mood, relieves muscles aches, and can used to treat cold sores, back pain, sciatica and headaches.
  9. Yarrow – like many of the others this plant has got plenty of uses. As a tincture, its flowering top can be used to prevent colds and the flu. Externally yarrow has been reported to repel ticks and mosquitoes.

See what I mean? Your garden could secretly be host to an array of herbs which can naturally help to improve your health and help you ward off illness.

So take a look and see what gems your garden may be hiding… If you find something interesting why not let us know on our Facebook page.

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