Happy new gardening season! Just received my Johnny’s Seeds catalog and am sitting here perusing it. Yes, I have a lot of seeds already…but I can’t resist getting some additional ones. Am thinking about creating a few lists of must have seeds and then buying numerous “sets” for neighbors and friends. First list will be Herbs for Cooking. Second will be Herbs for Medicinal Use. Third list will be Survival Vegetable Garden.
Does anyone have ideas about what they would add to these lists?
Here are my best medicinal herbs. I starred the easier growing ones.
*Artemisia spp. (wormwood-deworming, mugwort-calming)
*Calendula (skin health and ulcers)
*Chamomile (calming)
*Comfrey (external healing and green mulch)
*Echinacea Angustifolia (immune boost. Better in my opinion than E. purpurea. Effects wane after 14 days of any E. spp. use)
St. John's wort (mental health and topical pain relief. Slow to start and germinate but then it takes over!)
Chinese Skullcap, Scutellaria Baicalensis (antiviral)
Astragalus (blood cell production support. Must be cold stratified. Difficult to start sometimes.)
Elecampane (lung support)
*Mullein (lung support)
*Feverfew (migrain headaches- best used daily)
Marshmallow (sore throat. Finnicky grower.)
*Horehound (sore throat)
Self heal (wound healing. Small plants, best sown in open trays)
*Tulsi (cancer support and a lot of uses)
Valerian (sleep induction)
*Thyme (antiviral & antibacterial)
*Lemon Balm (antiviral, good against cold sores and styes)
*Heartsease violet (heart, cancer)
*Stinging nettles (detox+ a LOT of other uses)
*Dandelion root (detox, liver health)
*Turmeric roots (antioxidant, cancer)
Ginseng roots (many uses. So hard to find, so starting your own is such a great idea)
Not sure how many of these grow well in GA, but those are my essentials.