Herbalism :: Growing Top Medicinal Plants Certificate

Planting in containers is helpful anywhere space is restricted such as for those living in an apartment. Plants in containers can also be moved around as the season progresses and brought indoors at the the end for the winter.

Planting your medicinal herbs out in the yard is more permanent than in containers. You can add to an existing vegetable or fruit garden or you can start a new one. Two types of gardens are those in raised beds and those directly in the ground.

There are a lot of reasons to plant a theme garden. You can organize the plants by what they treat. You may also want to plant a rain garden, shade garden or plant to attract butterflies, pollinators and wildlife. A floral cutting garden is a nice theme as well.

Now that you know what type of garden you would like, where is it going to be located? Not only do you need to think about where you have the space, you will need to think about natural elements such as sun, water, wind and accessibility.

You will quickly develop a list of your favorite plants. They will resonate with you somehow, usually because they are the ones you use most often for medicine. But you will find other favorites too for different reasons.

There may be many reasons for planting your garden in addition to medicine. Look for plants that suit that purpose.

Before purchasing your seeds or plants, it’s good to know a few things about botanical names so that you know you are getting the right medicinal plants. In this lesson, I’ll also talk about some of the best resources for you.

Echinacea is also called purple coneflower and is common to many ornamental gardens. The large, showy purple blooms are quite attractive and easy to grow.  It’s often grown for it beauty alone.

Calendula is one of the most beautiful herbs to have in the garden. It’s cheery and bright. It’s also one of the most useful. It can be used fresh right out of the garden or dried for later use. Calendula is sometimes called pot marigold but it is not to be confused with the garden variety of marigold.

Lavender is one of the most beautiful aromatic plants and is one of the most essential herbs to have in the garden. It’s quite easy to grow if you find a nice sunny, warm location. There are many varieties, but most often Lavandula officinalis or Lavandula angustifolia are grown.

Bee balm lives up to it’s name. If you’re interested in attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds into your garden, this plant is an excellent choice. It’s also a beautiful landscaping plant and is striking in floral bouquets.

Rosemary is so much more than a culinary herb. It has some very valuable medicinal uses too. There is a reason why it’s so well loved in its native Mediterranean and why is has been cultivated so extensively elsewhere. It can actually grow quite large into an attractive bush and simply loves those sunny warm hillsides.

Sage is a very safe herb to use. Many of us have enjoyed sage as a flavoring herb in sage dressing that stuffs our turkeys. Planted in the garden, it can be really quite striking when planted in a grouping. It has velvety pale gray-green leaves which makes it a beautiful plant to arrange between more brightly colored flowers.         

Just about everyone is familiar with thyme. It is so widely used in our cooking. It’s also one of those amazing pollinator attracting plants.

There are many varieties of basil but it’s usually sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, that is used medicinally and for culinary purposes. Basil has a distinctive flavor and aroma that is so loved by many.

Tulsi, which is also called holy basil, is very similar to sweet basil and in fact the plants are closely related. It’s one of the most highly prized herbs in India where it has been used medicinally for thousands of years.

Garlic is one of the best medicinal plants to grow in your garden and one that most herbalists could not be without. Many people think of it as a culinary ingredient, but it is simply loaded with medicinal uses.

Cayenne, or better known as chili pepper, is a common spice we all have experience with. Some of us crave them and some of us avoid them at all costs. It’s usually thought of as a vegetable added to Asian and Hispanic foods, but it’s a valuable medicinal plant too.

Chamomile is a well-known and gentle herb. Many people drink chamomile tea for the flavor alone without even realizing it’s many important health benefits.

Lady’s mantle grown in mass can make a beautiful border at the front of the garden.

Valerian is a very safe herb used primarily as a mild sedative.

Hops are primarily used as a mild sedative by relaxing the central nervous system. They are also used for digestive issues and women's issues.

Mint is one of the best know flavors in the natural world. It’s in our food, beverages, candies, even widely popular in our toothpaste.

While lemon balm is closely related to mint, oregano and thyme, it has a surprising and delicious lemony flavor and aroma. Plant it near the front of garden where visitors can smell and taste the plant. The bees find it irresistible so if you are planting for pollinators, be sure to include this plant.

Marshmallow is a quick growing perennial with beautiful velvety gray-green leaves and striking pale pink flowers. The botanical name is Athaea officinalis. It grows tall up to 4 feet so its best to plant it further back in the garden.

Laying out the garden is one of the most exciting parts of gardening. You get to decide where to place all of your plants that you have selected to grow.

Building great soil is key and is the vital first step in growing medicinal plants. The goal is to nurture and encourage good soil. Plants need a good, healthy soil to develop well.

How you prepare your garden bed will depend on what you are starting with. You may have an existing garden, or be starting one for the first time.

You can plant your seeds directly in the garden soil or you can start them well ahead of the season in trays indoors. Let’s look at both ways of sowing seeds.

I truly believe that the ceremonies and love that go into the landscape have powerful transformational energy that has a healing effect on the land, the plants and those that have the good fortune to visit there.

You can create an extra feeling, energy and dimension in your own gardens. To help teach this, I invited my dear friend Sharon Ramel to offer a garden blessing. She is quite gifted and was gracious enough to create an enriching ceremony especially for you.

Now that your garden is planted, it's time to observe what might need attention, whether it's watering, weeding, attending to the compost pile or watching out for pests.

Composting is a great effective way to return organic matter to the soil. There are some simple principles to creating good compost.

It’s wise to pay attention to your garden to see if there are any signs of the plants needing water. In this lesson, we will cover those as well as the best ways to water your garden.

Weeding can be therapeutic and a great way to really get to know both your cultivated plants and the weeds at different stages of growth.

Medicinal plants don’t usually have as many issues with pests as do vegetable, fruit or ornamental plants. However, if problems do occur, you’ll want to catch them early.

These are the books I recommend for further reading on growing your own medicinal plants.