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Gardening

Medicinal garden

Dec 12 09:45am

Medicinal garden

Feeling below par? Don't rush to the chemist - relief may be as close as your garden.

Here's how to build a three-tiered medicine chest garden, and a list of some of the safest home-grown remedies.

You'll need:
4 x 50mm x 50mm x 240mm hardwood pegs/stakes
4 x 50mm x 50mm x 410mm hardwood pegs/stakes
4 x 50mm x 50mm x 580mm hardwood pegs/stakes
Screws
Newspaper (if bed is on grass)
Soil (mix of good-quality, weed-free topsoil, compost and manure)
Builder's string line
Long measuring tape
Old fence palings

Here's how:
1. Choose a level area that receives at least six hours of sun a day, all through the year. Mark the corners of a 1450mm square. Measure diagonals – they should be the same length. Hammer in the four shortest stakes leaving 180mm above ground. See the diagram - the cross-section shows the positioning of stakes and palings.

2. Stretch string line between stakes to mark both diagonals.

3. Measure from each post along diagonal string line and make marks at 350mm and 700mm. Make dots on ground below marks.

4. Hammer in the rest of stakes. Four medium-sized stakes make the middle square (leave 310mm above ground). The tallest stakes form the inner square (leave 440mm above ground).

5. Fix two fence palings to each side of the outer square. Cut palings to size as you go; drill pilot holes before screwing palings to post (to avoid splitting); for a neater finish, attach palings to opposing sides first.

6. Carpet grass with newspaper 10 sheets thick. Fill with soil to 50mm below paling tops. Attach two palings each side of middle square. Upper paling should be flush with top of post. Fill with soil (leave 50mm at top).

7. Repeat for central square. Plant and water.

What's your medicine?
Treat these herbs as you would any medicine - take care! If you're pregnant or have heart disease, consult a doctor before use.

To make herbal tea
Put the desired part of the plant in a teapot and add boiling water. Let it steep for 10-15 minutes, then strain into cups. Usually you'll use 1 teaspoon of dried herb or 2 teaspoons of fresh for each cup of tea.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Herb	What it's good for	How to use
Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)	Relieves coughs, mouth and throat inflammations, tension headaches.	Use as a tea or as a mouthwash. Rub fresh leaves onto cuts.
German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)	Relieves insomnia, indigestion, sore throats and calms nerves.	Use leaves and flowers to make a gargle, mouthwash or tea.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)	Use to treat infected wounds, throat infections, coughs, childhood bed-wetting.	Strip leaves and flowers from stems and make into a tea.
Chilli (Capsicum annuum var. annuum)	Chilli boosts poor blood circulation (cold hands and feet), and helps prevent colds.	Pour a cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of crushed, dried chilli, leave 10 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon of this with hot water and drink.
Nasturtium (Tropaelum majus)	Relieves colds and flu.	Nasturtium tea is made by steeping 1-2 teaspoons of fresh leaves or flowers in hot water.
Dill (Anethum graveolens)	Beats bad breath, flatulence, indigestion and colic in children.	Make a weak tea from its crushed, dried leaves.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)	Relieves stress-related headaches and depression.	Make tea from its leaves. It's most effective at flowering time.
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)	It's said to soothe headaches, insomnia, depression and exhaustion caused by stress.	Steep its dried flowers in hot water to make a tea or sprinkle them over your bath.
Garlic (Allium sativum)	Combats infections, blood pressure and alimentary parasites.	Dig up the garlic bulb when leaves begin to die (usually late spring or summer). Cut clove into tablet-size pieces and swallow with water.
Aloe vera	Relieves sunburn, insect bites and stings.	Snap off a leaf as needed and rub the juice onto sunburn, insect bites and stings.
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)	Relieves nausea, helps digestion and clears nasal passages when used as an inhalation.	Use leaves to make a tea or add to boiling water and use for an inhalation.
Borage (Borago officinalis)	Relieves fevers and stimulates milk flow in nursing mothers.	Make a tea from its dried leaves.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)	Combats fevers, depression, tension, high blood pressure.	Use young leaves to make a tea (2 teaspoons dried leaves or 4 teaspoons fresh leaves).
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)	Use its leaves and flowers in a tea to improve your digestion.	Use half teaspoon dry wormwood or 1 teaspoon fresh wormwood to make the tea.
Pennywort (Centella asiatica)	Relieves arthritic pain.	Eat two leaves (around 40mm diameter) a day.
Bay tree (Laurus nobilis) Aids digestion.	Add a strong brew to your bathwater to relieve aching limbs.	Use one or two leaves in a tea.