Sometimes I suspect that the term "medicinal Herb" is a polite euphemism
for "rampantly spreading weed". That may explain part of your difficulty
in finding growing instructions. Most people are concerned with preventing
them from growing. Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), cleavers (Galium
aparine), feverfew Tanacetum parthenium), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale),
chickweed (Stellaria spp.), comfrey (Symphytum officinale), stinging nettle
(Urtica disica), plantain (Plantago spp.), and mint (Mentha spp.), to name
just a few, are very invasive.
Other medicinal herbs are also used as culinary herbs, such as basil
(Ocimum basilicum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and sage (Salvia
spp.). You ought to be able to find instructions for growing these kinds
of herbs in a book about herb gardening. Mint will be in there, too,
probably with the warning to grow it in a planter or otherwise contain its
roots to prevent its spreading.
Some medicinal herbs are shrubs or trees you might even find in a suburban
yard, such as juniper (Juniperous communis)eucalyptus (Eucalyptus
globulus), maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), and willow (Sallix alba).
And there are some medicinal herbs which frequently grown for the beauty of
their flowers. These include rose (Rosa spp.), peony (Paeonia spp.), sweet
violets (Viola spp.), and pot marigold (Calendula officinalis). [WARNING!
DO NOT CONFUSE POT MARIGOLD WITH FRENCH MARIGOLD (Tagetes patula) AND OTHER
TAGETES SPECIES, WHICH ARE USED AS INSECTICIDES AND WEED KILLERS.]
Still other medicinal herbs are more commonly thought of as foods, as you
suggested, or come from another part of a plant used for food. Celery,
oats, cabbage, tea (black, green, and oolong), cayenne pepper, orange,
walnut, apple, raspberry, ginger root, and rhubarb are familiar to most
people as things you will find in a grocery store.
I don't know of a book that combines the growing instructions for all of
these diverse types of plants, but there are lots of books on growing
vegetables or fruits or trees or flowers.
Carol (and Brodie)
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Owens [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 1999 1:12 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [ecopath] Medicinal Herbs, Weeds, and Diversity
Medicinal Herbs
<snip> A few days ago i began researching herbs that could be grown
at home and were proven to be both useful and effective. One
might think this would be an easy project, but i'm finding
some problems. The growing methods are not usually discussed
in sufficient detail and the processing of harvested herbs
can be complicated. Also, the strength of a herb depends to
some extent on how it was grown.
After sorting through a pile of books, i've concluded that
this is going to be a difficult and interesting project. <snip>
Another viewpoint is that food and herbs are the same thing.
A carrot is a herb which is in common use. I like this viewpoint
because it leads to the conclusion that our food supply has become
too standardized and more diversity would be helpful. This view
also helps remove the barriers between crops and nature. If our
view of food becomes more diverse then the weeds in the garden
begin to look different. Many become herbs. The forest becomes
a garden. The garden stops being a small patch of land dominated
by ordered expectations and rules.
----------
Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7, http://www.teleport.com/~kowens
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
