It’s spring! And it’s also time to start thinking about your garden again. I can’t wait to start my balcony garden. Just have to wait for a little for the weather to warm up.
Have you thought what veggies and other plants will you grow? What about adding some medicinal plants this year, creating your own little backyard pharmacy? Actually, I’m sure you already have a couple of them in your garden without you knowing it.
You don’t have a garden? Don’t worry! Most of these plants can be grown indoors or in your balcony garden too.
Lavender
Do you know those amazingly smelling beautiful lavender fields in Provence? They don’t plant lavender just for its beauty. It has a lot of healing properties you might not know of.
Lavender has been used from ancient times for its fragrance, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Nowadays it’s also used for healing arthritis, sore throat, menstrual pain, migraines, and insomnia. Lavender acts as a relaxant and antidepressant too.
Aloe
Aloe is said to be a super medicinal plant, but there is little scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the miracle plant. But still, aloe vera is widely used in cosmetics and health industries because of it’s moisturizing and soothing properties. It’s perfect for treating skin burns, mild skin infections and flu symptoms.
Aloe juice is said to help with poor appetite, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems, but consuming excessive amounts of it may have toxic properties.
Peppermint
Peppermint is said to be the world’s oldest medicinal plant that was used already ten thousand years ago. Peppermint has a high content of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, menthol, and manganese, making it a great plant for the food and cosmetic industry.
Peppermint helps to soothe nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, fevers, headaches, intestinal gas, chest congestion, and abdominal cramping. It inhibits bacterial growth, relaxes the muscles and menthol help to refresh sunburned skin.
Diluted peppermint oil helps to repel ants, flies, and fleas.
Chamomile
Chamomile is an extraordinary medicinal plant that can help with more than a hundred health problems. It’s well known for reducing anxiety, tension, and stress. Thanks to a high content of magnesium and calcium in the plant, chamomile helps to calm the body and to bring on sleep.
Chamomile is also helpful for dealing with an upset stomach, the common cold, hemorrhoids, acne, shoulder pain, skin irritations, mucositis, muscle tension, toothache, and earache.
Basil
Basil is not just an ordinary culinary herb, it has a lot of interesting medicinal properties too.
Greeks have used basil’s leaves to treat scorpion stings and Ancient Romans to stimulate breast milk production.
Nowadays it’s used for treating lack of appetite, flatulence, cuts, stress, infections, and arthritis. It’s also found that basil has antiviral, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties and helps to boost our immune system.
On top of all of that, it is easy for even the beginning gardener to learn how to start growing basil.
Garlic
Besides culinary uses, garlic is a powerful medicinal plant too. Garlic has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. Medical research has shown that garlic has possible cardiovascular benefits and is one of the most antimicrobial plants we can find.
Garlic helps to fight viruses, infections, parasites, and bacteria. The common cold, ear infections, congestion, and digestive disorders can be treated with garlic too. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and to prevent lung and breast cancer.
Which plants will you grow this year? Do you have any medicinal plants in your garden?
Disclaimer: This article is for information only. Consult a doctor for more information. See our disclosure here.
I have heard of some of these, but I had no idea that garlic had medicinal qualities. I love garlic, so now I am adding to even more things 😉
I love garlic too! 😀
I’ve got them all and more. I love planting medical plants I can use throughout our lives. I plan it out each year and hopefully this year will be the biggest
Very interesting read! I only medicinal plant I was aware of was Aloe! I wouldn’t mind growing Peppermint or basil in my garden!
This is a great list! We can;t have a garden but I wish we could!
What a great list. The benefits of Aloe are amazing. I tried growing basil last year and the rabbits got it. Will try again.
Very useful post! I love garlic
I need to start growing these– using these things fresh rather than dried out from a little bottle gives food so much more taste…and fresh aloe is wonderful for the skin. Never realized some of the medicinal qualities that you point out here– thanks!
I don’t have a garden. Indoor out our. I pretty much live surrounded by cement and very little dirt in a large city. I have been thinking about starting small and growing some herbs.
I grow everything except the chammomile. I love my lavender and hope it comes back after our long hard winter.
I do grow lavendar, basil, aloe, peppermint & basil. Some indoors, some outdoors. I would like to grow garlic someday too!
I actually grow all of those plants, except garlic. Not sure why I have never grown it, it is so easy to do!
I would love to grow Aloe and Peppermint. My grandma use to always grow peppermint and she would use it in so many thing, including hamburger patties. My mother always use to grow Aloe and we always used it if we had any type of scrape or wound. I’m surprised to find out that it hasn’t been scientifically proven to have healing properties.
My hubby has always wanted a garden. We tried to grow our own veggies a few years ago but wasn’t too successful! (the only patio that we have access to doesn’t get any light). Can’t wait for us to get a backyard so that we can plant some of these plants.
I like knowing that you can get herbal remedies instead of over the counter.
My dad used to grow mint and aloe vera. I think we may have even eaten a mint leave right out of his garden. But I have not had the time to plant a garden. But I would love to!!
And Aloe is my favorite, such a good one to have around the house. -Amber N
I half expected to see the newly-legal Colorado plant in this list 🙂 Great collection! I like peppermint a LOT for sinus problems.
I am in a new area and trying to find out what I am able to grow here. I love Spring gardening and getting to grow different vegetables and herbs.
I really wish I could grow a garden but I live in a two bedroom apartment. I would love to grow aloe vera and lavender
We have Lavender and Garlic but that’s it i would love to add some more to the collection.All the plants you have listed are really good.
I love Aloe. It has so many great benefits and a million uses too. It used to be all over the place in Florida. Now that I’m up north it’s a bit harder to find.
We don’t actually grow anything but I think I may try growing some herbs this year and see how that goes. I eat an all natural diet so I love having healthy foods available.
Great information! Glad to add to my growing knowledge of these herbs, thanks!
I hope to get some gardening done at my home and design studio this spring. Thanks for sharing your suggestions
Interesting! I knew about aloe but not the others. I might try to add some of these to my garden.
I’ll have to start planting all these this year. I’m a huge fan of aloe, especially.
i am wondering if it is easy to plant all of these? i just tried basil and it was quite easy really but are the rest the same?
Marwa @Blossomfamily.net
Passing by from the epic friday link up
I’m not planting anything, If I could I would plant peppermint. I love peppermint!!
Living in florida, Aloe is a big one. I use garlic quite often as well…just not from my own garden LOL.
This is some great information. Who knew that so many plants from our own gardens had so many medicinal purposes?
I’m a big fan of garlic as medicine for both people and pets. Did you know that feeding small amounts to your dog is a natural flea repellant? So much better than chemicals that might make their skin itch and burn.
We always plant peppermint and basil. This year I am going to try all of these! Always need more stuff to plant.
For the past several years, I’ve grown basil but didn’t really look it as a medicinal plant. That’s pretty cool that I’m getting such benefits out of something that tastes so good! I’ve never tried planting peppermint but have planted chocolate mint. I enjoy grabbing those leaves and just chewing them.