Medicinal Herbs for Small Gardens

Growing and Using Healing Plants the Urban Herbalist Way

Oct 21, 2007

As long as you have a porch or sunny window, you can reap the benefits of the medicinal herbs profiled in this ongoing series.

An Introduction to the Herbal Pharmacy

A medicinal garden was, until relatively recently, a fixture of every household. All spring and summer, the bee balm buzzed with honeybees, the chamomile crept over and covered the stepping stones, and the lavender grew in tall, fragrant spikes, its sleep-inducing scent wafting through the open bedroom windows at night. In autumn, the final harvest was made and the herbs were bundled to dry in the attic or were made into tinctures and salves for the winter's endless supply of colds, influenza, and general aches and pains. These days, it is rare indeed to come across any sort of household herb garden at all, much less one dedicated to healing plants. Oftentimes, mentioning healing herbs is met with a scoff or some wry comment about "magic." But here, you will find herbal healing practices mentioned right alongside references to magical herbalism, as healing herbs and magical herbs are one and the same, and both healing and magical practices once occupied the same realm. Unfortunately, in an era of convenience and technology, our first instinct is to reach for a bottle of ibuprofen, not the mortar and pestle. Our once intuitive connection to the earth's healing and magical offerings has been severed by years of disuse--severed, but not dissolved. As you plant and harvest your herbal pharmacy, let the dirt under your nails and the heady scent of sage lift you, if only briefly, to a place of ancestral connectedness with the healing powers of plants. Whether you've an un-tilled acre or a postage stamp-sized balcony, you won't regret trying your hand at cultivating a few of the deeply storied, endlessly useful plants profiled in this ongoing series.Today's plant is peppermint (Mentha piperita):

Peppermint Folklore:

Herbal lore places peppermint (also known as "lamb mint," "brandy mint," and "lammint") in a purifying, uplifting role. The mere presence of peppermint is enough to attract benevolent spirits, ward away malevolence, and raise the peaceful vibrations of an area. It is also known as a money attractant, perhaps for its crisp, green foliage and is attributed with safe travels if carried on the traveler. For these magical uses (as well as its medicinal uses) it has had a long history of use with wise women, druids, and other practitioners of "green" witchcraft throughout the ages. As a household herb, peppermint was indispensable for its strong, fresh fragrance, which made it useful for everything from sweetening breath in a time without toothpaste to strewing on the great hall floor after a particularly raucous feast.

Growing Peppermint:

Peppermint makes an ideal candidate for the amateur and seasoned herb gardener alike due to its overwhelming popularity and extraordinary usefulness. It is also perfect for small-space gardening. Left to its own devices, peppermint has been known to take over and nearly destroy the garden, so it is best grown in pots. While there are many "designer" varieties of mint out there, ranging from chocolate to apple, you'll need to seek out true peppermint if you wish to reap the maximum medicinal benefits. Peppermint can either be cultivated from seed or purchased as a young plant from most major garden centers. Peppermint is not a picky plant, and will thrive in shady conditions or even indoors. You'll wish to have enough peppermint on hand for tea-making, so give it a large pot to spread out in. Keep the runners (the long, sparsely leaved, vine-like growths) cut off and do not overcrowd the pot--2 or 3 small plants will suffice. Peppermint grows rapidly and adores being pruned, so make use of this often.

Medicinal Uses of Peppermint

As a medicinal, peppermint is most well known for its anti-nausea properties. For a nearly instantaneous nausea tonic in the instance of motion sickness, morning sickness, indigestion, or nausea caused by another illness, brew 3-4 tablespoons fresh peppermint in a cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes and inhale the steam deeply as you drink. Peppermint tea has also been said to relieve menstrual cramps, headaches, and the general tension associated with PMS. The tea has no ill side affects, so drink as much as you wish. It is particularly refreshing served cold during the unbearable dog days of summer.

One of the primary components of peppermint is menthol, which is the active ingredient in most over-the-counter muscle rubs. Instead of depending on a trip to the supermarket to take care of your sore muscles, make your own peppermint salve (recipe below) and use liberally on your sore feet, back, or other overworked, over-stressed muscles. Herbal folklore dictates that rubbing peppermint on the feet of your lover will strengthen your devotion towards one another, so make plenty! This salve can also be rubbed on the chest to relieve congestion and sooth the infirm to sleep.

Peppermint Salve Recipe

Put the peppermint in a glass or stainless steel container and pour on the olive oil (it should cover them completely, but not drown them). Place the container in the oven on the lowest heat setting possible and leave there all night. In the morning, strain the herbs through a mesh sieve, press as much of the oil out as possible, and toss the leaves. Put the oil on the stove on low heat, add the beeswax, and stir until the wax is melted. Remove it from the heat, add the contents of the vitamin E capsule and a few drops of benzion tincture (to keep the salve fresh), and pour into a seal-able container such as an appropriately sized mason jar. Allow the wax to harden and store the salve in a cool, dark place. Thanks to the benzion, it should keep for years

The copyright of the article Medicinal Herbs for Small Gardens in Herb Gardens is owned by Kelsie Gray. Permission to republish Medicinal Herbs for Small Gardens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.