Hallelujah Herbs! Indoor Herb Gardening

The most common medicinal herbs:

Astragalus

Burdock

Cayenne

Echinacea

Feverfew

German Chamomile

Lemon Balm

Milk Thistle

Peppermint

St. John's Wort

Valerian

Yarrow

Simple Guidelines for Purchasing Herbs

However, I know that many of you have neither the time, expertise, land, energy or even desire to realistically harvest the bulk of your herbs. So here’s some of my experience-based understandings to help you knowledgeably purchase your medicinal herbs. Over the years, I’ve seen that many herbs will behave in their expected way even if not of the premium organic, small farm variety. I’ve also noticed that some plants simply MUST be harvested very carefully from a healthy environment in order for them to work well (if at all). With a few of these herbs it’s totally clear that they just don’t work, as in the Skullcap is completely inert. In other cases, they seem to work, kind of, of they work well in some ways but the breadth and depth of their effect has been lost somewhere in the industrial process, (Ashwagandha is especially prone to this). 

• First of all, just completely avoid all plant matter that is some indeterminate shade of yellow-brown and has that distinct musty smell. Reject any herb that does not still look very much like it did while alive, it should still be vibrant and inspirited. If you’re buying from an herb store, it’s really preferable that the proprietor of the shop know where the herbs came from, when they were harvested and purchased and something about the nature of the herb itself (something besides the newest drivel from alt. health glossies).

To read the full article: Wellsphere, Simple Guidelines for Purchasing Herbs

Pick Your Herb Garden Plants - It's Easy!

In ancient Greece the Feverfew herb was used to reduce swelling and for women's menstrual distress. The herbs name is a Latin derivative meaning to chase away fevers. You may even say it was the aspirin of the eighteenth century. It was used to treat fevers, menstrual and rheumatic pain.

The Feverfew herb grows to about two feet high and it is a perennial. The leaves are doubly divided and have a tooth like edge, they are brightly colored and have an aromatic smell, but somewhat bitter taste. The flower will look very much like a daisy with white petals and a yellow center.

Culture

Seed Spacing             Press the seeds gently into the soil surface, but do not bury them; allow them to receive enough light.
Seed Germination     10 to 14 days.

Plant Spacing            12-18 inches in the row.

Soil Requirements     Feverfew will grow well in nearly any type of soil.

Sun & Lighting          Likes full sun, but will tolerate partial shade.

Water Requirements  Average water, doesn't need an abundance of moisture.
Uses

Feverfew can be eaten as the fresh leaf, made into a green leaf tea or dried for later use as a tea.The most simple and the fastest way of getting the most out of the medicinal benefits of Feverfew is to make an herbal tea to tisane. It can be drunk either warm or cool and can be taken as a general tonic to boost well being or to ease anxiety or depression. If you drink half a cup twice a day, you should begin to notice the benefits within a week.

The Feverfew herb helps ease nervousness. It works as a laxative and can ease flatulence and gas pains. It stimulates blood flow, especially to the pelvic area and uterus and has been used to stimulate menstruation. It helps ease menstrual cramps. Another use for Feverfew is its antihistamine properties where it can prove invaluable for the treatment of allergies such as hayfever.

Not only has Feverfew been found to aid in the relief of Migraine (and we hold much evidence of curing this sometimes debilitating condition) but its natural anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties have been found to aid in the relief of rheumatism, sciatica, hip, joint and back pain.

For insect bites, make a tincture out of the herb Feverfew and apply it to the bite to relieve pain and swelling. 

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