Medicinal and Edible Plants for Your Garden

Since ancient times, many cultures have used medicinal plants and herbs to fight illness and disease.

 

Traditional Chinese medicine uses well over 5000 plant species, while India uses more than 7000. Although medicinal herbs are generally associated with eastern countries like China and India, Native Americans also have strong traditions rooted in the medicinal properties of plants. The number of doctors who use medicinal plants and medicinal herbs worldwide continues to climb each year.

A growing dissatisfaction with western medicine has caused a growth in medicinal herbs' popularity. Finding medicinal herbs in pharmacies, grocery stores and over the internet is becoming increasingly easier. They're generally safe and gentle on the body.

 

Over the years, many medicinal plants have been discovered by accident. Today, over forty percent of the drugs prescribed in the United States use some form of a medicinal plant. However, of the 250,000 plants on earth, only about two percent have been examined for medicinal properties. This fact lends much hope to the possibility of finding cures to diseases that thus far have been incurable. Many of the well known medicinal herbs are also edible plants that are easy to grow and require a minimal amount of care.

Although medicinal herbs are readily available in retail stores, many can be grown in your backyard garden. Medicinal plants grow easily and give you a bountiful harvest throughout the summer, fall and even winter.

 

Like other plants, most herbs need plenty of sun and well-drained, moderately fertile soil. You can fortify the soil in your herb garden by adding grass clippings, compost, limestone and even manure. While some people prefer to keep edible herb gardens close to the kitchen, these gardens can also be planted in flower beds, rock gardens, or landscape borders.

Medicinal herbs, like garlic, sage and mint, are commonly used to spice food and make wonderful garden plants. However, the possibilities don't stop there if you want to grow more edible plants in your garden. Other common edible garden plants are fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and onions. In many cases the blossoms for medicinal and edible plants are both beautiful and delicious.

The following are some common edible plants that you might not have in your garden but are easy to cultivate.

 

Ginger is a tropical plant that is cultivated for its root. An easy way to start growing ginger is to buy fresh ginger root from your local grocer. Plant the root in the spring and expect a sprout when temperatures are between 75 and 85 degrees F. When winter rolls around, bring the plant indoors. You can use the peppery, sweet flavor of ginger to flavor soups, meat, poultry, curries, gingerbread and cakes.

 

Garlic is a hardy bulbous plant related to leeks, chives, onions and shallots. To grow garlic, plant separated cloves in the fall at least four inches deep to ensure that the bulb will survive the winter. If you plan to eat the garlic you're growing, then don't let your bulb flower. Break the stem if a flowering stalk starts to grow. When the tops of the stalks start to turn brown, dig them up because they're ready to eat. You can use garlic to season anything from meats and soups to vegetables and pastas. The one downside of garlic is that it remains in the body for a long period of time and affects the breath and even the skin's odor.

 

Mustard is grown from seeds that should be planted in the spring in fertile, well-drained soils. It can withstand mild frost but generally grows best in mild, temperate climates. The seeds produce flowers, half of which then produce pods that contain dark, reddish-brown seeds. These mustard seeds can be ground into a powder to make the common table condiment by mixing mustard powder, sugar, vinegar and turmeric.