Article by George Faulkner
Growing herbs in garden areas has been a rewarding activity for centuries. They are not only good for cooking and for oil infusions but they also have direct health gains. There are medicinal herbs that help cure everything from coughs and colds to anxiety and depression.
Chamomile and lavender are lauded for their calming effects. Chamomile flower heads are used in a tea or tincture and they help relax your stomach and gut when you are undergoing a stressful situation. The scent of lavender alone is enough to make one feel peaceful and sleepy. It is infused in oils used for massage. Used as tea, dried leaves and flowers can also be a good remedy for migraines and even indigestion. We all know parsley that is used in our food. However, parsley has natural chemical substances that can boost the immune system. It even has the ability to improve one’s cardiovascular system.
In tea form, sage is good to treat excessive sweating and hot flushes in women during menopause. It also is a good diuretic, and can help by removing toxins from the body. Thyme is thought to aid in warding off bad dreams, but superstition aside, it is also good for curing cough and colds, as is ginger. Mints lessen stomach pains, and may heal sore throat. A bay leaf infusion in water can be used as a hair rinse that can cure dandruff. Aloe vera is used to heal minor burns, and the sap is rubbed onto scalp to thicken hair and prevent it from falling out. Lemon balm also has a calming effect, and may be used as tea to treat irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and even depression. Ginkgo has proven to slow down the effects of Alzeiheimer’s disease.
Growing herbs in garden areas has countless effects to our health and even the very act of growing herbs in itself can achieve relaxing and meditative states. Planning your own garden can give you focus and perspective. Nurturing a garden can also bring feelings of peace and harmony with the earth. The act of planting, and then waiting for your herbs to grow helps one practice delayed gratification, which can also increase emotional intelligence. Also, gardening can provide some physical exercise, and relieve stress from routine office work or other jobs that you do. Plant and nurture an herb garden with your children, and it will promote in them cooperation with others. Also, when you use your own herbs in your cooking and in your infusions or tinctures, and your teas, you are sure that they are organic, chemical-free, and absolutely fresh and safe.
Growing herbs in garden areas can also improve air quality. If you have a garden, imagine what it can do to the air around your house. And if you have indoor herbs, the quality of the air inside your house can also improve.
Finally, there is no feeling in the world like being in a fragrant garden of herbs. It is a fact that plants contribute to a general happy feeling. Imagine yourself amidst sweet smelling lavender, lemon balm, chocolate mint, or basil. It is not that difficult to do. With a little effort, and some time and patience, your herb garden will give you more than you know. These are some of the ways in which growing herbs in garden areas can be beneficial to our health.
