I shared this little video of one of my herb beds on social media the other day, and while I talked a little about the herbs I have growing, I thought it might be nice to share a bit more about them - particularly if you’re thinking about which medicinal herbs you want to grow this year.
All the herbs in this bed, except German chamomile, are perennials and were planted last year. They died back over the winter and have sprung up again this spring - the skullcap has decided it wants to take over the bed, and that’s fine with me. I planted the chamomile a couple of months ago as soon as I saw some plants in the garden center, there are three here.
I’m growing Ashwaganda and Valerian for their roots which I’ll harvest at the end of this growing season, reserving a piece of root with ‘eyes’ to replant. I use both leaves and roots of marshmallow, so I’ll harvest leaves as I go along and dig the root in the autumn.
I really like raised beds. This one is from Vego and was a birthday present a couple of years ago. They’re metal, but don’t heat up and it looks as good as the day I installed it. Raised beds work particularly well for me, as I’m absolutely plagued with gophers, which tunnel through the soil munching on roots they come across and killing the plants. I laid a big piece of 1/2 inch hardware cloth underneath the bed. The weight of the bed edges holds it down and so far it’s been a brilliant way of keeping them out. Another benefit of a raised bed for growing herbs whose roots I harvest is that I know what root is what. Any herbalist should be able to identify a root by look, smell and taste, but in an in-ground bed with other plants, roots can get entangled. It’s also easier to dig a root out of a raised bed.
So, to the herbs:
First up is LEMON VERBENA (Aloysia citrodora). The leaves of this little shrub have a powerful citrusy fragrance very similar to sherbet lemons, for those of us who grew up with those yummy candies. Even though the common name includes the word ‘verbena’, it is not a member of the verbena family. I mostly grow this herb for tea, it adds a delicious lemony flavor and the leaves don’t shrink much when dried and grow prolifically, so even a small plant can give you enough to have a decent harvest. Lemon verbena is calming to the digestive system and can help lighten the mood and alleviate tension.
ASHWAGANDA (Withania somnifera) is a well-known adaptogen. The name translates as ‘smells like a horse’ and if you have ever harvested the root, you’ll know why. It’s actually a pleasant earthy, hay-like fragrance but very distinctive. The roots tend to be quite slender and I really need more plants to get a useful amount, but as much as anything this bed is for demo purposes for classes and so on. Ashwaganda is a member of the tomato family and in cooler climates is an annual. But here it goes year round with pretty bright orange berries in late summer which you can allow to mature to collect seed for more plants. Ashwaganda is less stimulant than some adaptogens and I often include it in sleep blends during times of high stress. It helps reduce the effects of stress on the body and improve stamina. Ashwaganda may support thyroid function, so I wouldn’t use it for someone who has an overactive thyroid condition.
In the past, I’ve had trouble growing GARDEN SAGE (Salvia officinalis). I’m not sure why, but I think, despite its reputation as a tough mediterranean herb, it’s actually quite picky - preferring a cooler spot and a certain amount of water. For whatever reason, this plant has absolutely flourished in the raised bed and has a profusion of lovely sage leaves. If you are growing sage for medicinal - or culinary - purposes, it’s best to get this variety. There are a bazillion other sages and many have gorgeous flowers and lovely scents, but they don’t have the same qualities. I love to cook with sage, it goes particularly well with chicken and pork, but also adds a musky warmth to rich fruits like blackberry or blackcurrant. Actually, this is making me want to make a blackberry and sage oxymel later in the year when the blackberries are in season. Sage is an absolute go-to for sore throats, I make a tea with sage, lemon, honey and ginger to soothe and fight infection. A gargle with sage tea is also a great to use it for sore throats. Sage is cooling and drying and can be hugely helpful for peri-menopausal hot flashes/flushes and night sweats. Make a strong tea in the usual way and drink it cold - it has to be cold to have this effect. The drying quality is also used to help nursing mothers’ milk dry up when it’s time to wean, so obviously avoid it if you’re breastfeeding.
The welcome invader in the bed is SKULLCAP (Scutellaria laterifolia). I’m actually delighted at the way its runner roots have crept across the whole bed, popping up stalks in amongst the other herbs. The shoots will grow to a couple of feet tall and I’ll harvest some of the stalks with leaves and flowers when it’s covered in beautiful purple blooms in late summer. Skullcap is one of the herbs I use most often, as it’s so helpful to reduce anxiety without being sedative. It just has a lovely quality of keeping you calm and clear during stressful situations. Skullcap has long been associated with the head and I find it’s particularly useful for calming those panicky, circular thoughts which can strike during the day or when you wake up in the night. I wouldn’t complain even if it spread through the whole garden.
VALERIAN ROOT (Valeriana officinalis) is widely used to help sleep, reduce pain and alleviate anxiety. It’s quite sedative for most people, so best avoided before driving or operating machinery. When working with herbs, it’s important to remember that people are all different, and this is particularly true of valerian, as for some people (they say about 10%), it can actually have the opposite effect, making them more speedy and anxious, so it’s a good idea to try a little and see how it affects you. Interestingly, I used to be one of those people, but found that after menopause it worked as a sedative for me - people and plants are endlessly fascinating. All herbs should be stored in an airtight container, but it’s an especially good idea with valerian because the smell of the root is… let’s say… an acquired taste. Sweaty socks come to mind. I once had a leaky bottle of it in my bag on a London bus and I never had as much space around me during rush hour before or after. Cats are attracted to valerian and it affects them in a similar way to catnip, so it’s best to keep them away. Curiously, the airy white flowers smell completely different, they have a sweet vanilla fragrance and look really pretty in a flower arrangement.
It’s lovely to see my VERVAIN (Verbena officinalis) looking so bushy and abundant. I’ll harvest when the long stalks with their tiny lilac flowers appear in summer. Vervain is quite bitter but it’s a hugely popular tea, or tisane, in France where you’ll find Vervaine tea bas in every store. Vervain is splendidly calming and its bitterness helps support digestion. I also use it in a more ‘energetic’ way to help move energy when people are feeling stuck or going through a time of change. As a antispasmodic, it can be very helpful in sleep blends to relax tense muscles.
Just because CHAMOMILE (Chamomilla/Matricaria recutita) is so well-known, don’t underestimate this beautiful herb. I think everyone knows that chamomile is helpful for sleep, but did you know that it’s also an excellent carminative, the term we use for herbs which help reduce gas and bloating. This makes it a particularly good choice for an after-dinner tea. If you suffer from tension headaches, try a cup of really strong chamomile tea, it can work wonders. I harvest just the flowers as they come into bloom. If you keep picking, it will keep flowering. The flowers can be used fresh in tea but shrink when dried, so I tend to make tincture, as it’s hard to grow enough to get a good amount of dried for tea.
The botanical name for MOTHERWORT (Leonorus cardiaca) means ‘Lion Heart’ which I always think is such an appropriate name: think about a lioness’ protection and love for her kittens. From a phytochemical perspective, motherwort is a gently calming and bitter herb. But I mostly use it in a more energetic way to support anyone who has issues around motherhood or mothering. So that might be for mothers, but also those who miss their mother or have a just feel in need of that kind of mothering love. It’s an herb I often give to women in menopause, which can be a challenging time for women around the whole issue of mothering. It can be helpful with palpitations, especially when they’re associated with hot flashes/flushes. I harvest the leaves with their stalks throughout the growing season (it can get quite big if it’s happy) and mostly make tincture, as it’s quite bitter. Like any lioness, it can be quite prickly as it has sharp, thorny spikes protecting her baby seeds. Use gloves if you’re harvesting the mature plant. Motherwort isn’t suitable for use in pregnancy.
From spiky motherwort to soft, pillowy MARSHMALLOW (Althea officinalis). Yes, the original marshmallow candies were made with the gelatinous, mucilage-rich roots of this plant, although these days they use gelatin. This is one of those special herbs where the whole plant is used medicinally. Every bit of it is soothing and reduces inflammation in the membranes it touches, although the root has a greater concentration of soothing, slimy mucilage. Traditionally, the leaves are used to soothe respiratory irritation in the lungs and the root for digestive inflammation, but both can be used interchangeably. Mucilage is a polysaccharide (so basically a string of sugars) which is readily soluble in water, so water based infusions or low alcohol tinctures work best. A simple remedy for an inflamed digestive system (eg after a stomach flu, in IBS, indigestion etc) is to simply steep a tablespoonful of marshmallow in a pint of water overnight and sip through the day. Leaves and pretty pale pink flowers can be harvested through the year and the root dug in the fall.
Last, but very much not least, I’m so happy that my WOOD BETONY (Stachys betonica) is growing well. It’s a small plant, so I won’t get a huge harvest, but it’s another herb which I’ve had trouble growing in this hot, dry California climate, so I’m thrilled that it is thriving in this shady corner of my raised bed. Traditionally, wood betony was seen as a ‘panacea’ - a cure all for any ailment. Nowadays it’s used mostly to reduce stress and anxiety as well as physically relax muscles. It has a particular association with the head and is one of my go-to herbs for headaches, particularly when they’re caused or exacerbated by tension. Betony is seen as sending energy downwards from the head and I often use it to help ‘ground’ people who are experiencing feelings of spaciness and disconnection. I also use it for ‘restless legs’, which trouble some people when they are trying to get to sleep.
I hope you’re feeling inspired to grow some medicinal herbs this summer and would like to learn more, my online class is still available on my website and is currently half price - or free if you subscribe as a founder member on here.
Happy almost-summer!
Paula
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