Fresh starts: growing your own Spring apothecary
As nature wakes from its winter hibernation, Spring is the perfect time to embrace new beginnings both in life and in your garden.
For a lovely self care project this season, why not focus on creating your own herbal apothecary with easy to grow medicinal herbs that thrive in spring’s gentle sun and warmth. Examples include, Lemon balm, Chamomile, Calendula and Mint.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Why grow it?
Lemon balm is a beautifully fragrant herb with calming effects on the nervous system. It helps reduce stress, improve sleep and support digestion. It’s Ideal for people whose anxiety and stress manifests in stomach aches and digestive issues.
How to grow:
Sun & soil: prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
Planting tips: start from seeds indoors or plant cuttings / small plant directly in the garden after the last frost. It spreads easily, so consider growing it in a container.
Harvesting: pick fresh leaves throughout the season to use in teas, cool drinks and salads. Drying the leaves can preserve their medicinal qualities.
Medicinal uses:
Brew a tea with about 4-6 leaves to relieve anxiety, digestive issues, pregnancy nausea, headaches and promote relaxation.
Also, as it’s high in antioxidant properties, when you know you will be having an X-Ray drink lemon balm tea twice a day before and after the X-Ray
Make a lemon balm infused honey for soothing a sore throat (see instructions below).
Make an infused oil to use externally as an antiviral healer for cold sores, chickenpox and shingles ( see instructions below).
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Why grow it?
Chamomile is a pretty flowering herb that aid digestions, promotes restful sleep and reduces inflammation.
How to grow:
Sun & soil: Loves full sun and well-draining soil.
Planting tips: start seeds indoors and transplant seedlings outside once the frost has passed. It readily self-seeds, so let some flowers mature for next season’s growth.
Harvesting: pick flowers when they are fully open and dry them for later use.
Medicinal uses:
Brew a soothing chamomile tea with a tablespoon of flowers to ease stress, promote relaxation and sleep, improve digestion, ease colic in children and ease period pain.
Make an infused oil for a gentle external skin salve.
Make a steam inhalation by pouring hot tea into a bowl. Lean over the bowl with a towel covering your head and bowl and inhale. This is useful for easing symptoms of colds, sinusitis and earache.
Drink the tea 1-2 hrs before bead to help sleep and aid for restless nights.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Why grow it?
Calendula is a powerful wound healer with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also a beautiful, sun-loving plant that attracts pollinators.
How to grow:
Sun & soil: loves full sun and well-draining soil.
Planting tips: sow seeds directly in the garden after the last frost; calendula grows quickly and blooms throughout the season so also useful to grow in a container.
Harvesting: pick flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming. Dry petals for medicinal use.
Medicinal uses:
Make calendula oil to soothe cuts, burns, and skin irritations.
Brew as a tea with a tablespoon of flowers to support immune and skin health, the lymphatic and circulatory systems and digestion.
Mint (Mentha spp.)
Why grow it?
Mint is a fragrant invigorating herb that aids digestion, freshens breath and can help relieve headaches and nausea.
How to grow:
Sun & soil: prefers partial shade and moist, rich soil.
Planting tips: Grow from cuttings or a nursery/supermarket plant rather than seeds. Mint spreads aggressively, so keep it in a container to prevent it from overtaking your garden.
Harvesting: pick fresh leaves regularly to encourage new growth.
Medicinal uses:
Brew mint tea with 4-6 leaves to soothe digestive issues and nausea.
Use the hot tea as a steam inhalation for congestion relief.
Infuse in oil for a cooling muscle, to help relieve neuralgia, pruritus and headaches.
How to make an infused oil
Place the herb in a clean, dry jar.
Cover with 1 cup of carrier oil (eg. olive, grapeseed, soy, almond, jojoba) ensuring the herbs are fully submerged.
Seal the jar and place it in a warm, sunny spot for 4-6 weeks, shaking it gently every few days.
After the infusion period, strain out the herb using muslin or a fine-mesh strainer, collecting the infused oil into a sterilised jar or bottle. Seal tightly and label with the name of herb, date bottled and used by date (6 months after bottling).
How to make an infused honey
Place herb in the bottom of a sterilised jar. Usually, you need your herb to take up about a ¼ of the jar.
Fill with honey making sure the herb is fully submerged. Leaving a couple of centimetres at the top. Push the herb down into honey with a stirrer if needed.
Wipe the jar rim with a clean cloth.
Place the lid tightly on and turn the jar over a few times.
Allow the herb infuse for at least 5 days in a dry place. Rotate the jar daily. You can leave for 3-4 weeks if you want strong flavoured honey. Check daily: if the herb isn’t covered with honey, add some more.
Strain honey into a clean sterilised jar, seal tightly and label with the name of herb, date bottled and used by date (12 months after bottling).
Strained herbs can be put into tea for flavouring.
Infused honey is shelf stable in a cool, dark place and should be used with one year.
Always consult with a professionally qualified health practitioner before taking herbal medicine.
Over to you
Growing your own herbal medicine is a powerful way to connect with nature while supporting your wellbeing. Start small, be patient, and enjoy the process of nurturing these plants. Whether you sip on fresh herbal tea, craft homemade remedies, or simply enjoy the beauty and fragrance of these healing plants, your spring apothecary will be a source of renewal and vitality all season long. So dig in.
We’d love hear about which herbs you are going to grow this spring and how you might them. Let us know in the comments!
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