Planting herbs for nutritional & healing value

[LisaRose Barnes]

Hi,

I'm going to be planting a larger area of herbs this spring. I know the ones I want to use for culinary purposes (basil, cilantro, dill, etc.) but I'm wondering if there are additional ones I should include for nutritional and healing value.

Any input would be appreciated!

Thanks for all the great information I've found here so far. Love my green breakfasts!

LisaRose

[Laura]

It obviously all depends on what you actually use. I use lots of Lemon Balm, Nettle, Dandelion, red clover... When I start making my garden I'll surely plant lavender and lady's mantle. An elder tree would also be nice to have, and some rosehips. Mint is also a nice addition to any herb garden, and thyme is a useful culinary herb that also has lots of nice healing properties. 

Rose is also a good one especially if you want to make some cosmetics. 

[LisaRose Barnes]

Thanks, Laura. I'm moving outside herbs-as-a-culinary-tool for the first time this year. I attended a class on Growing Your Own Botanica and that was helpful, but I'm looking to broaden my base of knowledge. There is so much information on the internet, it's easy to drown in it! So, I'm seeking out other people's experience as a way to help narrow down all the noise.

I have a nice patch of lemon balm and spearmint. I think I may have accidentally killed my thyme plant last year while cleaning out that one. I've never heard of lady's mantle. Can you tell me a little about that?

And I'd love to know a resource to learn more about using roses to make cosmetics.

Thanks!

[Laura]

You can find lots of great inspiration on Rosalee de le Foret's blog (can't remember the name of the blog though). Rosemary Gladstar is also a great resource on anything herbal. 

I post natural healing things to my blog now and again: http://www.authenticparenting.info

Lady's mantle is a quite common garden plant, used for it's easiness to grow and propagate, it's also an excellent woman's tonic. Another great female remedy is Red Raspberry, obviously the berries are delicious, but you can make a great herbal infusion from the leaves. 

RRL:

http://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/red-raspberry-...

It's true that the info can be overwhelming. I've found the best way when I feel overwhelmed is to take a step back and let everything sink in. I also keep a list of herbs I want to keep in mind, maybe buy/grow and use, look up further. You get things that keep popping up into your vision, and then I follow that lead :)

[LisaRose Barnes]

Thank you, Laura!