Natural Remedies: Grow Your Own Medicine

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Grow natural medicine as close as your front door.
Grow natural medicine as close as your front door.
2 / 6
Purslane has healing properties similar to aloe vera, and is rich in vitamins.
Purslane has healing properties similar to aloe vera, and is rich in vitamins.
3 / 6
Yarrow, in addition to being a dressing for wounds, helps relieve stomach cramps.
Yarrow, in addition to being a dressing for wounds, helps relieve stomach cramps.
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For stomachaches and sore throats, try high mallow.
For stomachaches and sore throats, try high mallow.
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Horehound is good for sore throats, colds and the flu.
Horehound is good for sore throats, colds and the flu.
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Bee balm is a natural remedy for fevers and insomnia.
Bee balm is a natural remedy for fevers and insomnia.

I’m sure the neighbors had many questions the day I went out, dug up the lawn, and started planting weeds instead. The fact is, it was not a sudden notion. For years I’d been seeking out and studying native plants for healing, food, and other uses. When I speak of “natives,” I refer to any herb, indigenous or naturalized, which has been in our country for decades and has made its home here. Some plants were already in my flower beds; but, as I brought more in from the fields, the space shrank.

My pioneer grandmother was Celtic, a healer versed in the use of herbs; and my mother, whose Cherokee blood was given her by her mother, also practiced healing. I remember going out through the woods and into the “holler” to gather plants for food and medicine. This stuck with me even when I pushed the old ways aside to become a nurse.

Later, as I mellowed, the old and new began to merge. Working with elderly patients as a home health nurse, I found that most of these people were on numerous medications they were unable to afford. When I left my job, I was still bothered. What if I were in that situation? At the same time, my doctor was expressing concern that I had been taking certain prescription medicines for too long. However, since the symptoms persisted, I made the suggestion that I substitute herbs. I was braced for the laughter; but, surprisingly, he readily agreed. My medicinal garden was born.

High mallow

Malva sylvestris was one of the first plants which just seemed to show up without being invited, and it is one I use frequently. It grows one to three feet tall, and has straight, hairy stems and underleaves. The leaves are shiny green on top, roughly heart-shaped and lobed. The flowers are fight purple with darker veins on their five petals. Other types of mallow maybe used as well, including hollyhocks. The plants are grown easily from seeds and will bloom in about six weeks. They are also easy to transplant and the young plants can be bought from nurseries, where I’ve seen them called French hollyhocks. In moderate climates, the plants may bloom well into the winter.

  • Published on Jun 1, 1995
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