The importance of the herb garden as a refuge for the seasoning and healing powers of nature has been a tradition in the Mediterranean region since ancient times. In the Middle Ages, knowledge of the cultivation and use of these plants in the healing arts took hold, especially in monastery gardens. Later on, parsley, marigold, oregano and other herbs found their way into the gardens of the middle classes. In our country, the use of herbs for healing purposes had its heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, during the time of Samuel Hahnemann and Sebastian Kneipp.
Today’s importance of herb gardens
In today’s gardens, herb corners are often very small and species-poor, and many people know little more than parsley and chives as seasoning herbs. But with the progress of scientific research and the evidence of active ingredients from the green pharmacy against many diseases, the knowledge of cultivation and mode of action of these plants has experienced a renaissance.
Herbs in your own garden
Many amateur gardeners do not even know how many common medicinal herbs grow in their own garden: nettle, comfrey, St. John’s wort, ribwort, dandelion, valerian, mullein, marigold, hops, corn cockle, coltsfoot, mallow and dyer’s chamomile are just a small selection. In addition, all aromatic herbs are also considered medicinal herbs, because most of them have medicinal properties in addition to seasoning. Therefore, it is said that a good cook is also a good doctor.
Herbs from sunny countries
A large part of these aromatic herbs come from the Mediterranean area and the Middle East, and therefore need a sunny place in the garden. These are, for example, sage, thyme, chives, lavender, parsley, anise, fennel, oregano, marjoram, basil, rosemary, borage, dill, coriander, bay leaf, cress, garlic, hyssop, rocket, rue, rue, lemon balm, lovage, savory, mountain savory and tarragon.
Domestic herbs
Only sparsely small, on the other hand, turns out the account of spicy herbs from domestic climes: Celery, caraway, spoonwort, peppermint, mugwort, watercress, sorrel and pimpinell have always been common here in the north as well. You might want to set up an apothecary garden, which you can arrange by theme, for example: “cold herbs” such as thyme, sage, coltsfoot, ribwort, mallow, violet and mullein can be placed there alongside “nerve-calming herbs” such as lemon balm, lavender, St. John’s wort, valerian and hops, and “stomach herbs” such as wormwood, peppermint, marjoram, hyssop and chamomile.
Active phytochemicals in herbs
The range of active plant ingredients in our medicinal and aromatic herbs is manifold: minerals, essential oils, bitter compounds, vitamins, tannins and mucilages, glycosides, alkaloids, flavones, saponins and silicic acid make up a cocktail rich in the secondary plant compounds so vaunted today. They can have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, calming, appetizing, detoxifying, antispasmodic, diuretic, cardiovascular stabilizing, stomach and intestinal strengthening, blood purifying and antibacterial effects. Depending on the combinations and concentrations they act through the particular herb. We can enjoy our herbs as a tea, infusion and poultice, as a bath additive, in ointments or fresh as a spice or salad plant in the kitchen.
Beware of poisons!
The green pharmacy in our garden can provide us with many things, but even experienced herb gardeners must use only those medicinal herbs that do not contain poisons. Therefore, important medicinal plants such as foxglove and lily of the valley belong exclusively in the hands of the doctor. But also with parsley, woodruff, basil, tarragon and anise it is important to limit consumption to a low level. In the case of parsley, the parsley camphor apiol, which occurs in all parts of the plant and especially in the seeds, is toxic when consumed in large quantities. The same applies to woodruff. The coumarin it contains has a mild paralyzing effect in large quantities and causes nausea. This substance is also found in basil and tarragon. In addition, however, these two aromatic herbs should not be used for medicinal purposes in larger quantities and/or over a longer period of time, because they contain the active ingredient estragole , which has shown a possible carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effect in animal experiments. Anise is also said to have a similar carcinogenic effect in larger quantities.
Storage and treatment of herbs
Store medicinal and aromatic herbs for quick use within one to two days washed in plastic bags in a dark, cool place (for example, in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator). Many herbs can also be finely chopped and mixed with olive oil, crème fraîche, cottage cheese or yogurt for use as a sauce base for salads and vegetables for up to a week. Winter storage is best in dried or frozen form.
Harvesting herbs
The most favorable time for harvesting medicinal and aromatic plants is just before the beginning of flowering to shortly after flowering of the plants. At this time, they have the highest content of fragrance and active ingredients. Therefore, this is also the main harvest time for winter stock. Roots and rhizomes are harvested in the fall, when the active ingredients have migrated to the underground part of the plant. It is best to pick the plant parts on a sunny morning, when the dew on the leaves has already dried. Midday, on the other hand, is very inconvenient, because by then the leaves and flowers have already evaporated a lot of moisture and are dull from the heat. The most intense effect unfolds in the fresh herb itself or in the fresh tea infusion.
Herbs recipes: salad
In addition to the consumption of fresh leaves, flowers of many kinds of herbs can be tasty and especially very decorative in salads. Recommended for this purpose are the flowers of pineapple sage, borage, nasturtium and daisies. The salad itself can also be prepared from herbs such as rocket, sorrel, chervil and fennel. Seasoning is tarragon, cilantro, basil, lemon balm and chives, and the sauce is made from garlic oil and a little balsamic vinegar or lemon.
Green sauce with seven herbs
Something special is the so-called “green sauce”: a marinade of oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic is mixed and mixed with plenty of finely chopped fresh herbs. In any case, these include parsley, borage, chives, dill, chervil, sorrel and pimpinell, but purslane, lemon balm, tarragon, hyssop and nasturtium can also be used. These are topped with a cup each of sour and sweet cream. Finally, hard-boiled eggs cut into small pieces can be mixed in. Green sauce tastes best with fresh jacket potatoes.
Scented pillow from herbs
In addition, there are many other ways to use herbs for physical well-being. These include the many fragrances of the flowers, which in a dried state – sewn into small fabric pillows – can be used as dream pillows. In this way, different effects can be achieved:
- Anise, peppermint, lemon balm, thyme and rosemary can have a sleep-inducing and calming effect.
- For bronchial catarrh and asthmatic complaints, these scented pillows develop a soothing, decongestant effect.
- Small bunches of herbs of lavender or rue are effective against moths.
- Basil, tansy, wormwood and rue are said to repel flies and mosquitoes by their scent.
Homemade herbal oils
Something very precious are the herbal oils. Here, after careful cleaning, the herbs are put into clean, transparent bottles and doused with cold-pressed olive oil. This is left in the sun for a few weeks, the herbs are regularly shaken up and finally filtered. The finished medicinal or spice oil must then be stored in the dark. The same can be done with vinegar or alcohol. Very pleasant and calming to the nerves is an oil bath with the scent of lavender flowers preserved in this way. The precious red St. John’s wort oil, applied externally, is excellent against sunburn or other burns.
Ointments from your own herb garden
Hot, pure lard can also be used to make wonderful ointments. Three tablespoons of fat with three to four tablespoons of plant parts are boiled very slowly and left to infuse for ten minutes. Before the fat solidifies, the residue is filtered off. After cooling, the ointment – stored in a cool place – will keep for a whole year. Calendula ointment allows small skin wounds, inflammations and ulcers to heal quickly, leg corrugation ointment also helps with bruises and bruises.
Tea from herbs
For tea, you use the fresh or dried leaves of herbs. The “infusion” is the most common way to enjoy medicinal herbs.The leaves brewed with boiling water (one teaspoon per cup) is left to steep covered for ten to fifteen minutes. The tea is then drunk in small sips so that it can work well. If necessary, one can also make warm compresses from this extract for external use.
