Medicinal Herb Bundles for 2021

2021 is going to be a big year for medicinal herb growing! With ever more people finding joy and solace in tending to plants, many folks are also realizing that home gardening can be more than just tomatoes and pansies. At Red Wagon we’re branching out as well, and growing even more herbs with traditional medicinal uses. Maybe you’re feeling ready to dive in to the world of healing herbs but a little overwhelmed at all the choices available (don’t even get me started on how *all* plants are medicinal!) Our specially tailored herb bundles are a great way to fill your garden with plants that you know you’ll use and enjoy. Additionally, we’ll offer support through educational videos and recommendations all season.

Our pre-made bundles are only available through our online store; you can also find the individual plants in our retail greenhouses when you come to shop in-person.

To help you get to know the herbs, we’ve made introductory videos for all four bundles; check them out on our Youtube channel. In the video descriptions you’ll also find some book recommendations, many of whose authors have their own super-informative youtube channels. Let these resources be a jumping-off point for your own personal experiences and kitchen experiments with the herbs!

Garden Tea Time Bundle: This kit is full of only the tastiest herbs for making fresh and dried teas. If you’re working with herbs and children, this bundle offers kids a safe and yummy way to pick their own medicine.

Skin Care Herb Bundle: This kit makes a great gift for that glowing garden goddess in your life! Infuse oils for salves and make at-home hydrosols (floral waters) with the vibrant herbs in this bundle.

Sweet Dreams Herb Bundle: Whether you need help counting sheep or just a little support getting through the stresses of the day, the herbs in this kit have got your back.

Basic Home Apothecary Bundle: If you’re ready to form long-term relationships with some perennial herbs, this bundle is full of highly regarded medicinal plants that can be harvested from for years to come. These are great herbs to use when learning how to make tinctures (shelf-stable infusions using alcohol, vinegar or glycerine).

You might be wondering how to start working with herbs early this season, in addition to planning and planting the garden. One thing I do in the spring is go through the dried herbs I still have from seasons past. Now is the time to blend up those random dried herbs to make room for this year’s bounty. I also find it much easier to drink a daily herbal infusion when I have it already mixed up in a pretty jar on the counter. Right now, I’m drinking a blend of garden staples like lemon balm, wood betony and peppermint mixed with some early spring wild plants that will be ready to harvest soon: self-heal, nettles, and red clover. These herbs are mineral rich and help support the healthy liver and lymph function to ease the transition from winter into spring.

If you still have a bunch of dried culinary herbs, try mixing them up to use on roast chicken, spring soups (Nettle and potato soup anyone?), or sprinkled on toast with butter and the first radishes of the year. And remember, culinary herbs are good medicine, too!

2021 can be the year you work more deeply with herbs as a part of your everyday life. We look forward to offering more resources, and hearing about your experiences in the garden this growing season!

New Medicinal Herbs for 2021

By Sophie Cassel

Note: The plants discussed here have long histories of use, and the information included does not constitute medical advice. Be sure to check in with your medical provider before using any new herbs long-term. 

This year I have the honor of introducing you to some of our newest additions to the Red Wagon Plants medicinal herb family. In addition to the many medicinal herb starts we grow every year, we have added some plants that are tried and true herbal allies, if not as common in the modern Vermont garden. 

Medicinal herbs tend to be very closely related if not identical to their “wild” counterparts, with very little breeding done by humans for horticultural production. In this way, the most adaptable and hardy plants tend to thrive, and those very compounds that aid the plant’s survival also serve to act medicinally in the human body. Horticultural plant breeding is often targeted towards things like bloom time and flower color, so medicinal constituents may decrease as the plant adjusts in favor of these showy adaptations. For those of us who appreciate a more natural looking perennial garden, the wild beauty of the unmodified plants is part of their charm, and an assurance that we are growing high-quality medicine as well. 

Another trick to medicinal plant growing is germination. Many of these more wild plants have adaptations to ensure seed viability which actually make them much more difficult to reliably germinate at home. Replicating the plant’s natural experience, such as letting the seeds go through a period of cold stratification (for northern climate plants) or nicking the seed coats to mimic the passage through an animal’s intestine, will help increase germination. They’ll never behave quite like a tomato or spinach seed, because these medicinal plants have not adapted to rely on human propagation. This means that buying established plant starts is a great way to ensure success this year, and you’ll be able to save seed to experiment with expanding your patch in years to come. 

You’ll notice that a couple of these plants have the species name “officinalis”, as do other herbs that we grow; that’s a clue to the fact that these plants were historically included in official pharmacopeias and monastic apothecaries well before Linnaeus’s time in the early 18th century. 

Without further ado, here are some of the newest additions to the Red Wagon medicinal herb family:

Marshmallow (Althea officinalis): A relative of hollyhock and hibiscus, this pale-pink flowering beauty lives up to its name, thriving in wet or dense soils. It will also do just fine in garden soils with enough moisture. Growing 3-5’ tall, plant marshmallow towards the back of your perennial beds, but still within easy enough reach to harvest the flowers and soft, velvety leaves for tea. All parts of this plant, including the 2+ year old roots, are valuable for their soothing mucilaginous qualities, which smooth out digestion and soften skin. A great herb for the kid’s garden!

Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis): This plant used to be a staple in old European herb gardens, and has been venerated for centuries as a panacea to “preserve the liver” and ease emotional malaise. Well-behaved clumps of deep green leaves form attractive mounds for the front of the garden, with stately 2’ spikes of purple flowers that will continue to sprout as you harvest through the season. Clip back stems, leaves and flowers and dry for a subtle, earthy tea that can clarify the mind and support healthy digestive function.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): As our retail manager and fellow herb aficionado Lily said, “After 2020, everyone could use some skullcap!” A native wetland herb in the Mint family, skullcap will happily sort itself around plants like marshmallow and valerian, growing 1-2’ tall with petite periwinkle-colored flowers appearing along the stems. One of our most valued herbs for relaxing muscle tension and general anxiousness, this plant is used both to support sleep and simply find ease through the day. Cut back a few times over the season and dry for tea or infuse in alcohol to make a tincture. Skullcap doesn’t have much of a flavor, so it plays well with other aromatic family members like lemon balm, peppermint, and tulsi. 

Elecampane (Inula helenium): Do you ever wish your sunflowers had a little more sass and came back every year? Elecampane is your answer! Growing up to 6’ tall, elecampane sports finely-petaled yellow flowers born on thick bracts, with large clasping leaves that are a showstopper in the garden. Named after Helen of Troy, the root of this plant has been long revered as a pungent digestive tonic with a camphorous aroma that lends itself well to infused honeys and cordials. It’s valuable in supporting lung health and getting out stuck “gunk” wherever it may be lodged. 

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica): We’re bringing back the California state flower to our collection this year. While related to the other garden poppies, Eschscholzia flowers later and requires far less in terms of soil quality to thrive. The only annual on this list, plant California poppy alongside other self-seeding annuals like chamomile and calendula, or tuck it around the front of a sunny perennial border that you don’t have time to mulch or fertilize. The whole plant is used medicinally, including the striking red root and attractive long seed pods (which also make excellent everlasting bouquet additions). Tincture the plant in vinegar or alcohol to make a tonic for sleep that is impeded by either pain or discomfort of body and mind alike.

Drying Herbs for the Home Apothecary

By Sophie Cassel, herbalist, gardener, educator, and RWP employee. 

So, you’ve planned out the garden beds, planted your herbs, tended dutifully to their new growth, and now you’ve got a garden full of medicinal flowers and bushy growth, beginning to attract the attention of busy pollinators and your awe-struck neighbors. What next? Of course, you could leave the plants as ornamentals, or allow them to go to seed in hopes of expanding the garden next year. But if you’re interested in harvesting plant medicine, you’ll want to have all the tools you need to gather, dry, and store your bounty. Read on for some tips on tools and methods for keeping on top of the harvest, and you’ll be rewarded with aromatic and delicious herbs that will store well through the winter months!

Harvesting

First, a note on harvest. Medicinal plants have been used and revered for as long as humans have been humans, and we can and should show gratitude to the plants for all they offer us. While it bears repeating that wild plants should always be collected with utmost respect and caution towards the continuity of the stand or the species, even our own gardens can be the site of conscious harvest. Remember that maintaining a healthy pollinator population is essential for maintaining a healthy garden, and leave at least a third of flowers for the little critters who make all that abundance possible. With many commonly grown medicinals, leaving flowers for the bugs and birds will also promote seed production, which can then be gathered from in the fall to save for next year or offer to friends. Dead standing seed heads also provide important food sources to birds in the winter, which is another way to pay forward the bounty of the garden. 

That said, it’s helpful to have some key tools to make the harvest go smoothly:

• Baskets: Wide woven baskets are ideal for harvesting big bunches of herbs. They also make good places to dry the plants, since they provide plenty of surface area for air flow. If your basket has an open weave, line it with newspaper to prevent leaves and flowers from falling through the gaps.

• Clippers: Small snips are best for quickly and cleanly trimming off leaves and small stems, especially with plants whose stems don’t snap off cleanly. Make sure to keep your clippers clean to prevent the spread of disease from plant to plant. 

• Rubber bands: Save your old bands and twist-ties from produce and use them to make small bunches of herb sprigs- the diameter of the bunched stems should be between nickel- and quarter-sized to allow for air flow through the leaves. 

When it comes to drying herbs, there are a few different methods, and they work well for different plants, depending on the moisture content of the material you’re harvesting. Small-leaved and twiggy plants like thyme or lavender dry quickly in a bundle, whereas juicier plants like tulsi or calendula flowers need time and lots of air flow. Generally speaking, you want to create an environment that is warm, dry, breezy, and out of direct sunlight. That may be a corner of your kitchen, under the eaves of a garage or barn, or hanging from the ceiling of a three-season porch. Here are some methods you can consider, depending on the type of plant you’re collecting.

• Hanging: Tied up in those small bundles, herbs that are cut by the stem can be hung from a clothesline or string around the house. If it’s a plant that tends to shed its leaves as it dries, like tulsi or bee balm, you can hang the plant inside of a paper bag, so that as the leaves dry down they fall into the bag. Be sure to check bundles regularly to make sure they are drying evenly, without excess moisture in the inside of the bundle.

• Baskets and Racks: This method works best for flower heads, leaves, and anything with soft or short stems that won’t hold up to bunching. Spread your herbs in a single layer on your basket (lined with newspaper if needed) and place somewhere dry and warm. If you do place your herbs in direct sun, be sure to check them regularly and bring them in before they get too crispy or bleached out. I like to swirl the herbs around in the basket every day or so to make sure they are drying evenly- this is also a good time to remove any thicker stems that are drying more slowly than the other plants. For juicy flowers like calendula or red clover, be sure to check that their middles are fully dry (the centers should snap apart). If you’d like to build your own simple drying screens, there’s a great tutorial here. I set up a wooden clothes drying rack in my living room and place these screens on it, which creates vertical space for drying that doesn’t tie up counter space. 

• Dehydrator: Only use a dehydrator that has a temperature adjustment, as most standard dehydrators will run too hot for delicate plant material. Models like the Excalibur are pricey, but if you already own one for food preservation, they make great herb dryers. Make sure your temperature is on the lowest setting, and check the plants often to make sure they don’t overdry or begin to cook. It may help to chop the herbs a bit first so that they fit on the trays and don’t crowd each other.

Whichever drying method you use, make sure to label your plants, particularly the leafy green herbs that may only be identifiable by taste or smell. Label the drying plants with their name and when they were harvested- this way you’ll also develop a sense of how long it takes for each herb to dry down. Things like ambient temperature and humidity can dramatically lengthen the time it takes for herbs to dry.

After the plants have dried fully, it’s time for the most satisfying step with the funniest name: Garbling! Garbling is the process of stripping and shredding the useful medicinal leaves and flowers from the woody stems, resulting in a finished product that is uniform and easy to use. The best way to garble is to rub the dried plants against a screen (just like the drying screens above) made with half-inch hardware cloth, which will allow the crumbled herbs to pass through into a bucket or bowl below. You can also of course also do this by hand, in one of your big baskets or a large bowl. 

Once your herbs have been processed fully, store them in a sealed plastic bag or glass jar to prevent moisture moving in. Label well and keep in a dark place to preserve their shelf life. Stored this way, home grown herbs will last well over a year. If you’re unsure of whether the herbs are still useful, use your nose and eyes as guides: If the plants look bleached out or yellowy, or if they have no fragrance (or a funky/moldy one), it’s time to add them back to the compost. If you’ve dried them properly, your dried herbs will stay fresh-looking and aromatic, and provide you with an abundance of medicinal and culinary delights well after the garden has been put to bed. 

Resources:

• The Herbal Academy, “How to Make an Herb and Flower Drying Screen”: https://theherbalacademy.com/how-to-make-an-herb-and-flower-drying-screen/

• Carpenter, Jeff and Melanie. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015.

Herbal Vinegar Infusions

By Sophie Cassel, herbalist, gardener, educator and RWP employee. 

Of all the ways of preserving herbs, I think that vinegar infusions really capture the essence of summer in a way that lasts all year. At its foundation, a vinegar infusion is super simple: Chop up flavorful herbs, pack them into a jar, and cover with apple cider vinegar. Let the herbs infuse into the vinegar for a couple weeks, then strain for a punchy liquid that is versatile, healthful, and pretty tasty. 

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is the vinegar of choice, but other vin aigre (translated to “sour wine”) like red wine, white or balsamic are also viable options, depending on what your final product will be. Vinegars are a natural product of the fermentation and winemaking process, and have been used across cultures and generations to preserve and flavor food and beverages. In the northeastern US, apples were originally grown to produce cider and apple jack, and so cider vinegar has been our locally abundant source of acetic acid, the chemical responsible for that puckery tang that is so indispensable to our salads and pickles. 

Many folks are familiar with infusing vinegars for salad dressings- adding a couple sprigs of rosemary and thyme and a few cloves of garlic into the vinegar bottle can add complexity to a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing. But did you know that infused vinegars also lend themselves to sweet concoctions?

The first time I fell in love with an herbal vinegar was when a friend, faced with a glut of tulsi flowers from her garden and uninterested in drying the lot, shoved the herb bunches into a jar with apple cider vinegar and let them sit on her kitchen counter until she almost forgot about them. Weeks later, she gave me a sample of the strained liquid. The vinegar had absorbed and preserved all the delicate floral flavors of the tulsi, and it tasted just like we were back in the heat of July. 

Since then, I’ve been getting creative with different herb combinations, and adding honey or molasses to amp up the sweetness of my “elixirs”. When made in small batches, infused vinegars are a fun way to let your inner flavor wizard come through, and delicious local vinegar is inexpensive and easy to come by. Let yourself be guided by the bounty in your garden and your tastebuds, and you’re sure to come up with some successful combinations of your own. Below are a few traditional styles of vinegar infusions, with some ideas for herbs and spices to use. 

• Switchel: Also known as “haymaker’s punch”, this is a classic beverage drunk by northern farm workers while working through the heat of the day. Switchel usually includes ACV, honey or maple syrup, and water, with herbs steeped in for flavor. It functions much like a home-made sports drink, with the vinegar and sweetener providing much-needed electrolytes and salt. Try infusing a jar of vinegar with ginger, thyme and lemon, and keeping it on your counter, ready to add to your sweetener and water for a refreshing beverage that can be drunk throughout the day, even if you’re not making hay. 

• Shrub: These vinegars are infused with seasonal fruit and honey to make a luscious syrup. Added to cocktails or sparkling water, shrubs are tart, sweet, and deeply refreshing on a hot summer’s day. Added to a bit of hot water in the winter, it brings to mind the flavors of summer. Try a combination of strawberries and thai basil, or blackberries and raspberries with anise hyssop. The color of the berries will seep into the vinegar, adding a visual element to any beverage.

• Fire Cider: This spicy concoction has been a staple of the kitchen medicine community for generations, receiving added attention in past years as the fight to prevent the trademarking of the name went national. Kitchen staples like onion, garlic, horseradish, cayenne and black pepper are chopped and added to vinegar and honey, then strained when the brew is nicely potent. Taken by the spoonful or added to a hot toddy, Fire Cider is sure to clear the cobwebs from your immune system and provide some internal warmth in the depths of winter. If you’re excited about Fire Cider, a new book compiled by Rosemary Gladstar dedicated to the topic will give you ample recipe ideas and inspiration.

Infusing herbs in vinegar is so quick and simple, you’ll soon find yourself making a new batch every week, capturing the seasonal shifts of your garden. Make sure to label every jar with the date you made it and the herbs you added in. Infused vinegars are safe for everyone when diluted, and make an excellent offering to kiddos or folks who aren’t drinking alcohol. They also can help jump start digestion before a meal. The possibilities are as varied and abundant as your garden!

Further resources:

Folk Medicine: A Vermont Country Doctor’s Guide to Good Health. Dr. D.C. Jarvis. 1950’s book, makes some wild claims but is a fun read and a portal back in time. His office is preserved at the Shelburne Museum!

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Samin Nosrat, 2017. Specifically the chapter on acid, but this entire book is a treasure trove.

Fire Cider! 101 Zesty Recipes for Health-Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar. Rosemary Gladstar, 2019. The “godmother of Western herbalism” and the originator of Fire Cider, Rosemary is an enormous resource to the beginning herbalist.

Plant Profile: Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis

By guest blogger, Sophie Cassel, herbalist and Red Wagon Plants team member

Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm, cousin to some of our more famous mint family plants, has a historical reputation that far exceeds its diminutive nature and ease of growth in the garden. Herbalists and philosophers since ancient times have revered Melissa officinalis for its bright scent and flavor and ability to brighten and revive the spirit. The latin name Melissa refers to the plant’s association with honey bees, and the species officinalis tips us off that this plant has been used medicinally for so long that it was part of the official pharmacopeia in monasteries. We can take our cues from the bees and the ancients, and make Melissa a part of our medicinal herb gardens. 

Native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia, lemon balm was brought to the Americas during colonial times and has naturalized somewhat, particularly on the west coast. Like most mints, it’s easiest to start lemon balm from cuttings or divisions, but it can also be started by seeds, which are light dependent. It isn’t fussy to grow and can tolerate a bit of shade, but it does prefer moist, well drained and fairly fertile soil without much competition, spaced about a foot apart. Unlike the more aggressive perennial mints, lemon balm tends to form clumps and spreads fairly slowly, making it a more friendly addition to any perennial mix or tea garden. There’s speculation that the high volatile oil content of lemon balm makes it a good companion plant, working to deter pests with its strong scent. 

It’s best harvested just before flowering- cut the top third of the plant on a hot afternoon for the highest concentration of aromatic volatile oils. It will continue to branch and grow over the course of the summer, but be sure to let it set flowers at some point to attract its namesake bees to dine on its exquisite nectar. 

Once harvested, the sky is the limit when it comes to lemon balm recipes. As a freshly infused tea, it can’t be beat. Simply pour boiling water over the fresh leaves and steep for 5-10 minutes, or place in a jar with cool water and let steep in the sunshine for a few hours, and you’ll be rewarded with a bright and delicate solar infusion that really captures the essence of the plant.  Lemon balm dries easily- spread out in a basket in a warm dry spot for a couple days. You can then use it for a delicious, relaxing tea throughout the winter. Or take a cue from the seventeenth-century Carmelite nuns and infuse lemon balm and other herbs in alcohol to make a delicious cordial; drunk before meals it aids digestion and brings levity to any dinner party. 

Medicinally, Melissa’s applications are broad. An easy way to think of the signature of lemon balm’s medicine is for ailments “like bees”. Busy, buzzing, unable to settle or slow down enough to rest or digest, that’s where lemon balm comes in. Equally beneficial for a disquieted mind as a rumbly tummy, try lemon balm tea to prepare for bedtime, or to quiet the nerves before a big presentation. It makes a great after-dinner drink, and is safe for both children and elders alike. Rosemary Gladstar uses lemon balm in a wonderful “Colic Remedy” tea that she notes is actually helpful for “anyone with digestive disturbances due to nervous stress, but is especially helpful for infants and those elders who have stomach problems”: 

Colic Remedy: 

• 3 parts lemon balm leaf

• 2 parts chamomile flower

• 1 part dill seed and leaf [or substitute for fennel seed and frond for a sweeter option]

Steep herbs in freshly boiled water for 10-30 minutes, depending on desired strength. The tea will become slightly more bitter as it steeps, which increases its efficacy for digestive troubles but may be less tasty to sensitive palates. 

Plant some lemon balm in your garden this spring, and you will be rewarded with the accolades of bees and delicious medicine all year long. 

Resources:

Gladstar, Rosemary (2012). Medicinal Herbs: a beginner’s guide. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 

Grieve, Maude (1931). A Modern Herbal. NY: Dover Publications.

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, Apiaceae family

by Sophie Cassel, guest blogger, herbalist, and Red Wagon team member

With these plant profiles, my hope is to inspire gardeners to consider growing and using some of the lesser known herbs that Red Wagon propagates, both for their beauty in the garden and their myriad uses in the kitchen and medicine cabinet. Fennel definitely fits the bill here. At Red Wagon, we grow two varieties of Foeniculum vulgare- bulb fennel, which is grown as a vegetable and also known as Florence fennel, and bronze leaf fennel, which is grown as an ornamental and culinary herb with potent medicinal uses. 

If people are unfamiliar with bulb fennel in the garden or on the table, they are usually even less aware of bronze leaf fennel, but both of these varieties deserve a spot in the garden. In terms of medicinal usage, we’ll focus on bronze leaf fennel, which is actually quite a bit easier to grow than its bulbous relative, offering interest and uses throughout the growing season.

But first, we should acknowledge the long and celebrated history of fennel across cultures and healing modalities. The emperor Charlemagne reportedly required the cultivation of fennel on all imperial farms, and ever since Holy Roman conquerors introduced their favorite herbs to Anglo-Saxon Europe, western herbalists have extolled the virtues of this plant. My first introduction to fennel seeds, as a digestif following a rich Indian meal, points to its trusted use in Indian Ayurvedic medicine as well. In Longfellow’s 1842 poem “The Goblet of Life”, he too references the plant’s historic values:

Above the lowly plants it towers,

The fennel, with its yellow flowers,

And in an earlier age than ours

Was gifted with the wondrous powers,

   Lost vision to restore. 

It gave new strength, and fearless mood;

And gladiators, fierce and rude,

Mingled it in their daily food;

And he who battled and subdued,

   A wreath of fennel wore. 

Even if you’re not planning on going into battle or restoring sight to the blind this summer, fennel still deserves a place of honor in your herb garden. These days, it is chiefly used in all manner of digestive complaints like cramping, bloating, and that weighty feeling that comes after eating something that may not sit well. Like many of its cousins in the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family (i.e. dill, coriander) fennel is considered carminative, meaning it helps to relieve gas and bloating. I have also seen this work in a similar way to alleviate the cramping that comes with premenstrual symptoms. Traditionally, the seeds of the plant have been the most trusted part for medicinal use, the feathery fronds and flowers also make an excellent tea or addition to salads and fresh summer dishes. 

From a gardener’s perspective, bronze leaf fennel is much easier to grow than its finicky vegetal sibling, bulb fennel. While bulb fennel requires consistent adequate moisture, fertility, and mulch,  bronze leaf fennel can thrive in a wider variety of soils and tolerates dry conditions. Sow or transplant once the ground has warmed, and offer plenty of sunshine, although some afternoon shade doesn’t seem to slow this plant down much. It can grow up to 2 feet high before flowering, and looks wonderful as a backdrop supporting other sturdy flowers, such as calendula or marigolds. 

Once the fronds have begun shooting skyward, you can harvest the leaves continuously for culinary use and bouquets, but make sure to let some go to flower. Insects (including swallowtails) adore the flowers, and as the they mature you can delight in the flavor of the slowly ripening seeds. Be sure to harvest dried seed before frost, unless you’d prefer a garden full of bronze leaf fennel in subsequent years because they self-seed generously. But with its copious culinary and medicinal uses, that wouldn’t really be such a bad thing. 

Using fennel for medicine is as easy as popping a pinch of the seeds in your mouth following a rich meal. I like to toast them a little before using to bring out their aroma and offer a pleasant crunch, and you can also fry the seeds in a small amount of honey to candy them and increase palatability. They also brew into a lovely tisane, steeped for 10 minutes in hot water (bonus points for your belly if you add some chamomile flowers to the brew). Fennel is very safe, and has been used for colicky babies as well as to promote lactation following birth. Fresh (or freshly dried) fennel is often considered decently palatable even to folks who have an aversion to the sticky-sweet taste of anise, another Apiaceae cousin of the plant.

Let this be the year you let fennel into your garden, your kitchen, and your heart!

References:

Ken Adams and Dan Drost, Fennel in the Garden, March 2012. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1267&context=extension_curall

Longfellow, H.W. Ballads and Other Poems, 1842. Found at https://www.hwlongfellow.org/poems_poem.php?pid=75 

Rohde, Eleanour Sinclair. The Old English Herbals. Originally published 1922: Longmans, Green and Co.

Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal. Originally published 1931: Harcourt, Brace & Co.

8 Plants to Grow for Your Home Medicine Chest

Thyme. Photo courtesy of Lisa Cassel Arms

8 Plants for Your Medicine Chest

This year, make the commitment to add plant-based, home grown remedies to your life! Whether in the bathroom cabinet, the first aid kit, or the spice rack, medicinal herbs deserve a place in your home. Below are eight easy-to-grow herbs that you can grow and process to provide your family with plenty of herbal TLC. If you’re looking for more guidance on growing and using herbs this year, we’ll be discussing medicinal gardening in full on March 28th from 10-12 in the Red Wagon classroom!

1. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): This common roadside “weed” is actually a treasured medicinal wunderkind. The genus refers to its alleged use by the warrior Achilles, who brought the plant into battle to staunch the sword wounds of his soldiers. Swords aside, yarrow is the premier first aid herb for all sorts of cuts and scrapes. It is both styptic (staunching bleeding) and antimicrobial, so it is quite safe to put directly on a wound. When fresh, the leaves and flowers can be mashed or chewed into a juicy poultice and put directly on the skin. For year-round use, simply dry the aerial parts of the plant (as flowers begin to open), and powder the leaves and flowers. This can be stored in a first aid kit for easy access, and will keep for a couple years. Yarrow is a popular ornamental, so while the wild white variety is traditionally used medicinally, the brightly colored ornamental varieties can also be used in a pinch.

2. Calendula (Calendula officinalis): Sunny, cheery “pot marigold” is one of the first flowers to burst forth in June, and one of the last to die back as frost looms in October. Harvesting is as simple as plucking the flowers from the stem as they open and drying them for a couple days in a warm, sunny location, then storing in a dark place. Once the plants start flowering, harvest can happen as frequently as every other day, which helps keep the plant in bloom consistently. Calendula is healing to all damaged tissue, internal and external, and can help foster immunity and a bright spirit in the depths of winter. Deb Soule of Avena Botanicals in Maine encourages everyone to “Grow a Row” of calendula as a way of supporting folks healing from abuse and trauma. 

3. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea, angustifolia): Many folks already have Echinacea growing as an easy native ornamental in their perennial gardens, but haven’t harvested it before. A favorite of nectar-seeking butterflies, both the flowers and roots of the plant are harvested for medicine. Pop the matured flower heads off the stalk through the late summer (leaving plenty for the pollinators), and either dry for tea or chop up and cover with vodka to make your own immune-boosting tincture. Harvest roots in late fall and add to the vodka, and in a month you’ll have enough Echinacea tincture to keep your loved ones healthy through the winter! 

4. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum, tenuiflorum): A relative of basil, tulsi brings joy to the garden with its heavenly scent and flower stalks that attract all manner of pollinating insects. Tulsi leaves and flowers can be harvested fresh for tea, or hung in a dry, warm place to dry, then stripped off their stems and stored for a burst of sweetness throughout the year. Though native to farm warmer climates, this plant thrives through our northern summers and is a favorite tea plant for children and adults alike.

5. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): We offer a few varieties of thyme at Red Wagon, and this culinary staple is equally useful as infection-fighting medicine. My favorite to dry for tea is the French variety, which is a bit more floral and sweet than the German variety. Harvest by giving the plant a “haircut” right as it begins to set blossoms, and dry in a basket or paper bag, then strip from the stem. Strong thyme tea with a bit of honey provides welcome warmth during cold and flu season, and it can be added to biscuits and other baked goods for a dash of herbaceous brightness.

6. Rose (Rosa spp.): Growing roses can be as simple or as complicated as you like, but harvesting their bounty is easy regardless of the species you cultivate. As the flowers bloom, pluck the petals and allow to dry in a basket out of the sun. You can certainly harvest the buds, but that robs the pollinators of the nectar, and reduces the showiness of your plants. Often once the bloom has been pollinated, it will begin to drop its fragrant petals on its own, and you can come along with your basket to catch them! Rose petals brighten and sweeten any tea blend, add luxury to chocolate treats, and are a classic skin-soothing secret. To learn more about using roses in skincare, join us June 30th for a Make-and-Take skin spray class at RWP!

7. Mint (Mentha spp): This year at Red Wagon we’re growing fifteen different kinds of mint varieties, all with distinct aromatic profiles! I’m personally a big fan of the Kentucky Colonel and Chocolate mints, but it’s tremendously fun to plant a variety (in pots if you’re concerned about spreading) and see which types work best in your kitchen. Mint dries well, and I often will combine a few varieties into a tea blend for greater depth of flavor. In addition to settling digestion and brightening the spirit, mint can be used to literally cool down in the heat of summer- a strong mint tea can be chilled, and applied with a washcloth to the face and neck after sun exposure (as well as drunk for maximum cooling!)

8. Lavender (Lavandula spp.): What could be more classic in the garden than lavender? With its beautiful purple blossoms and sturdy upright habit, it’s the definition of classic English gardening. We have quite a few lavender varieties in the greenhouses. For harvesting, the Phenomenal (L. intermedia) type seems to be a frontrunner in terms of quantity and fragrance of blooms, but Hidcote and Provence also work well. Cut flower stalks in early bloom and make a fresh lavender wand, or dry flowers and leaves to crush for homemade sachets. I also love infusing lavender into bath salts, and drying to use in the winter for uplifting facial steams. 

I hope this list piques your interest in planning your herb garden this year! There’s more inspiration to be found on the Red Wagon Herbs We Grow list, so be sure to peruse before the planting season begins!