Create your own Herbal First Aid Garden

Twelve easy-to-grow garden plants — plan now for next spring!

Calendula – Attractive hardy annual edible flower, prone to powdery mildew. Sometimes overwinters in the Pacific Northwest.
Chamomile – Low-growing groundcover with yellow ball-shaped blooms.
Comfrey – Large-leafed bushy deciduous perennial, spreads easily by seed and root.
Fennel – Attractive tall perennial, birds love the seeds. Is noxious to some other plans and spreads by seed very easily.
Feverfew – Appearance is like miniature daisy. Spreads easily by seed.
Garlic – Widely known for health benefits. Plant in fall for summer harvest. If not harvested for bulb, divisions continue to sprout. Nice white flower.
Lavender – Comes in many varieties of various styles and forms. Grow “spike lavender” for strongest scent. Drought-tolerant.
Lemon Balm – Strongly lemon-scented member of the mint family. Spreads aggressively like mint — use barrier and clip flowers before they seed.
Marshmallow – Perennial reaching height of 3-4 feet. Grow in marshy, wet areas. The flowers have five reddish-white petals. The whole plant, especially the root, is filled with mild mucilage.
Onion – Plant “sets” in early spring for late summer harvest. Young blossoms as well as bulb can be used in cooking.
Peppermint – Deciduous perennial, spreads rapidly by root. Plant in pot or with a good barrier. Tolerant of most soil conditions. Prefers full sun.
Thyme – Low growing bushy shrub with nice form. Nice groundcover on sunny slopes. Small white flowers.
Yarrow – Varieties range in height from eight inches to four feet. Common yarrow spreads rapidly by underground roots. Ornamental varieties can be quite nice in the garden. Enhances flavor, strength and health of other herbs growing nearby. Relative of chamomile.

FIRST AID KIT*
Indigestion – Peppermint (use leaves for tea); Fennel (chew seeds or use for tea)
Nervousness / Anxiety – Chamomile (use flowers for tea, can also be used for indigestion)
Depression / Exhaustion – Lemon Balm (as a tea)
Minor Wounds – Comforting / Healing – Calendula (use leaves to make an herbal oil); Yarrow (use leaves as a compress and styptic)
Bruises & Sprains – Comforting / Healing – Comfrey (use leaves to make a poultice)
Antiseptics – Garlic (rub cloves on would / take internally); Thyme (use leaf as wash or make into an herbal oil)
Inset Stings & Hives – Onion (rub directly on sting or hive); Lemon Balm (use leaf tea as a wash)
Headache – Lavendar (use flowers for tea and eye pillows); Feverfew (use flowers for tea)
Bronchial Disorders (minor, non-chronic) – Marshmallow (use root to make water extract)

*Please remember that these recommendations are not meant to replace the care of a qualified health care professional. They may only provide assistance for minor routine ailments.

Thanks for the Food / Health / Medicine Guild from the early days of Sustainable Ballard for these ideas!