Suburban gardens have their challenges but, they also present opportunities for growing medicine that is always just steps away from the home. And there are three herbs that I recommend to any herbalist wanting to grow healing plants in the suburbs.
To be honest I am not really a great gardener of vegetables and tend to stick to what I use most, herbs! They are surprisingly easy to grow in a backyard and most of them are quite beautiful too.
This medicinal herb isn't extremely well known but is, none the less, super healing. The flowering tops and leaves are great for the nerves and are ideal tinctures for anyone who suffers from anxiety.
I know, this is such a classic herb that lots of people already own. but, I wonder, how often do people actually use the aloe that is growing in their yard?
Since there is so much of it here I try to use it daily. Aloe is a superb skin healing remedy that grows pretty much everywhere except places with lots of snow. From the tropics to temperate climates it will grow well and is a fountain of moisturizing sap.
Cutting up the leaves and freezing in containers is the most practical way to add aloe sap to the skin care routine. I simply cut off the skin with a knife and chop the pieces up into 2 or 3 inch sections. Several pieces fit in a container which can be frozen and used as needed.
Another herb meant for temperate climates is a key ingredient in beer ~ hops! This particular collection of hops plants has been in the ground for three-ish years. Some years they have grown better than others and by the looks of how much it has grown this spring we will be collecting lots of hops when fall rolls around.
As far as I know hops need both male and female plants to create the flowers that we are after. The hop flowers themselves appear in the fall. They are super beautiful, smell amazingly and are a great addition to fermented drinks and evening teas for relaxation.
