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Show 4- MOWING TIMES - MAY 15, 1997 GARDEN GRAB BAG I know this month’s article was supposed to be on lettuce, but I wanted to get this out in time for you to be able to get involved with medicinal herbs. Remember when I said thatI hoped I would be able to uses this column as a learning experience? Well, this subject has been a real eyeopener for me. As I browsed through my references on herbs I found that almost every one of them which I considered as culinary also had a medicinal use. Then I went looking on the Internet and found there are many websites, at least 5 News groups, and many books and catalogs offered which deal in nothing but medicinal herbs. There are also a number of magazines available such as the Herb Quarterly. Fortunately we have someone in the valley who has a great background and tons of information on this subject and she was kind enough to offer to help me out on this one. Anne Fry has not only a good working knowledge in this field but has decided to try “adopu'ng” out baby plants this year, and this is where the rest of us come in. When we were talking, she explained to me the differences between gathering wild herbs (called “wildcrafting”) and growing your own. First, of course, it’s easier if they are growing right by your back door. Variations in active ingredients are more reliable with homegrown than with wild varieties, and mistaken identity of certain plants gathered wild has actually resulted in incidences of fatalities. She indicated that there are poisonous plants growing in the valley, such as poison hemlock, which might easily be confused with another popular herb. Of course we should also realize that gathering wild plants has resulted in the near extinction of certain species. Growing your own also guarantees that you are getting what you’re looking for. Commercial companies are not always reliable as to the contents of their products and one recent study, for instance, showed that up to 25% of ginseng products in stores do not contain any ginseng at neighbors. I was surprised when she told me that many common plants and even some things we normally consider as weeds can be used medicinally, and you can go out and “pick” your medicine. There are even trees such as hawthorn where the berry is used as an excellent bi—directional medicine for heart conditions and the Gingko biloba tree whose leaves are used to aid in memory retention! So my hardest question for her was “What do you consider as absolutely essential plants to have in a good all— purpose medicinal herb garden?” These are a few of her favorites: 1) Calendula - makes a disinfectant solution for any wound or cut, was used for early instrument sterilization, and can also be used as a regular garden plant for its cut flowers, 2) Echinacea - this is another one with beautiful flowers, and it can be prepared as a tincture and used for colds and flu , 3) Feverfew - primarily used for migraine headaches and fevers, 4) Horehound - grows well in the desert with hot and dry conditions and it’s tincture is good for coughs and sore throats, 5) Mints — there are many varieties of these which all smell nice and can also be used for teas and flavorings and for indigestion and colds, 6) Chamomile - relaxing tea used for digestion and as a gentle sleep aid, 7) Catnip - I thought this was just for cats but used in a tea it can also be good for colds, flu, and fevers, 8) Comfrey - which has lots of uses including as a tea for bones, and 9) Wormwood - used as a tonic for worming pets or folks with parasites. Weeds she mentioned which are used are mullen for lung and ear infections, plantain for “dirty” infected cuts or wounds, and my old nemesis the dandelion which she says is a fantastic plant for liver conditions. Other plants she talked about were oats which are used as a nervous system tonic by making an oat straw tincture and then a sedative using drops of tincture in water and also mugwort which has many uses as a stimulant, diuretic, diaphoretic, and for palsies and fevers. all! Anne has decided to try to start certain types of medicinal herbs this year and “adopt” them out to people who are interested. Since each of us might have a different microclimate, she expects certain plants to do better in one location and other plants to be happier somewhere else. Then she’ll check up on them during the growing season, document her findings, and we can let you know the results. This not only helps each of us but, as she mentioned, might even have a commercial potential somewhere down the road. I can well believe that since I’ve just finished an article in Time magazine which was discussing the new and popular uses of certain phytoestrogens (estrogens produced by plants) which may be the next big health fad and which are quoted by some as being “close to a natural wonder drug”. It stated that women are paying $30—$80 for a month’s supply! The fun part of this is that there are many different looking herbs, various heights and growth habits, and assorted flower colors, so that they can be not only useful but a good-looking addition to any garden. A large portion of them are also perennials and they become part of our established plantings and can be shared with friends and Herbs have been used in cooking and medicines for thousands of years and have a long track record. However we should realize that if we use them we are dealing with substances which contain powerful, pharmacologicallyactive compounds that should be used with accurate information as to their interactions with other medications you might be taking, whether they should be used if pregnant, what their side effects are, and what dosages are appropriate for the condition being treated. As an article I read stated very clearly "Ihere is nothing about herbs that automatically makes them non-toxic just because they are “natural”. Co-factors (herbal synergy) should also be taken into account because it is not always the effect of one agent, but many, in the plant which make it work in a given situation. In addition to toxicity, the potential for allergens should be considered. For instance, chamomile & others of the ragweed family may cause allergic reactions in a few people which could be very serious. And, although the threshold level must be reached for the herb to produce the desired effects, the old theory “if a little is good, more must be better” should definitely not be used! Additional words of advice would be not to self-treat unless you have researched the topic thoroughly, and seek medical help if the condition does not respond within a week, if original |
