Healthful or Hopeful? Exploring Herb ‘n’ Myth

Long before pharmacies and over-the-counter remedies, our ancestors medicated and protected their bodies against illness by harvesting herbs and creating remedies.

Today’s gardeners are rediscovering this ancient world of medicinal herbs, planting feverfew, echinacea, lemon balm and valerian.

“The interest in medicinal herbs has exploded in the last two or three years,” says Kathleen Halloran, editor of Herb Companion, a magazine published by Interweave Press Inc., in Loveland, Colo., featuring advice on growing herbs and cooking with them.

“Many people are amazed at the many uses of the herbs growing in their gardens,” she says.

Gardening experts have noticed a burgeoning interest in medicinal herbs, which can consist of the roots, fruit, leaves, flowers and even the bark of plants.

“In 1994, the Federal Drug Administration conducted a survey that estimated that 8% of Americans used herbal products within the previous year,” Halloran says. “In 1995, a Gallup Poll showed that 17% had used herbs and in 1996 that had jumped to 19%, which translates to about 60 million Americans per year.”

In some other countries, herbal remedies are a primary form of health care. In Germany, where much research on medicinal herbs has been done, garlic outsells aspirin.

The interest in medicinal herbs is increasing, agrees Phil Miller, co-owner of Heards Country Gardens in Westminster, where they sell a variety of medicinal herbs and books on the topic.

“Our business in herbs is tremendous,” he says.

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There are several reasons herbs have made a comeback in the garden and as a nutritional supplement, says Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the Austin, Texas-based American Botanical Council and editor of HerbalGram magazine.

“There is a general trend toward staying healthy on a more natural, preventive, proactive basis,” he says. “The idea is that our health is something we must take responsibility for, not leave up to medical doctors to fix. There is also a cost issue. In some cases, some leading herbs and phytomedicines can produce the same clinical results as pharmaceutical drugs, more economically and safely.”

But beware: Though herbs are natural, all herbs aren’t necessarily safe.

“Peppermint may help with a stomach ache, and chamomile may soothe you, but pennyroyal and digitalis [foxglove] can actually be deadly, depending on your condition and any other drugs you may be taking,” says Jan Knight, editor of Herbs for Health magazine, published by Interweave Press in Loveland, Colo., focusing on medicinal herbs and the research behind them.

But even without healing properties, these herbs are attractive additions to the landscape.

“Many gardeners start out by discovering medicinal herbs because they’re so pretty to look at,” Miller says. “Echinacea [purple cone flower] has pink-purple, large cone-shaped flowers that look spectacular in the garden. When I tell people that the root and sometimes the leaves are used to boost the immune system, they are really impressed.”

Feverfew, with its profusion of white daisylike flower, is another herb that lights up the garden; it can also relieve migraines. And lavender, with its striking purple stalks, has been know to calm and soothe the nerves.

Medicinal herbs are easy to grow, says Carol Hunter, a member of the Orange County Herb Society since its inception in 1975. She has about 50 herbs growing in her Tustin garden, including medicinal ones such as rue, feverfew, rosemary, lavender and mint.

“Herbs aren’t too fussy about their growing requirements,” she says. “They don’t need much fertilizing, and many are drought tolerant once established.”

Plants such as rosemary and rue need only one good soaking during warm months.

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Many medicinal herbs can also be grown in part shade, says Carrie Teasdale, a Fullerton gardener who has a large collection of medicinal plants. “They will do well on balconies and in similar locations that tend to have part sun.”

Herbs do, however, need drainage, which means that heavy clay soil needs to be amended well or the plants aren’t likely to survive. To plant in the ground, Miller suggests working in a generous amount of high-quality bagged compost planting mix at a rate of 50% to 75% compost to garden soil.

Medicinal herbs grow especially well in containers, says Miller, who suggests using clay pots. Find a high-quality potting soil high in peat moss and redwood compost.

While in-ground plants need very little, if any fertilizer, containerized plants need regular fertilizing because they cannot draw nutrients from ground. Miller suggests using a slow-release, high-nitrogen fertilizer. Other fertilizers designed to promote blooms will send herbs to flower and seed too fast. But once flowering, some herbs will keep blooms on for months.

Fertilize container plants on a monthly or bimonthly basis. If you choose to go semimonthly dilute the fertilizer by half. The latter method is best because it gives plants a slow, steady source of food.

Medicinal herb plants are available at Heards Country Gardens in Westminster, (714) 894-2444; Mother’s Markets, throughout Orange County; and Huntington Garden Center, (714) 963-6522.

Mail-order seed sources include Johnny’s Selected Seeds, (207) 437-4301, and Richters in Canada, (905) 640-6677.

For information on the magazines Herbs for Health and the Herb Companion, call (800) 645-3675. For HerbalGram magazine, call (800) 373-7105.