The Complete Guide to Growing Healing and Medicinal Herbs: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply

1062 Pages·2011·10.56 MB·English

by  Wendy M. Vincent

The Complete Guide to
Growing Healing and Medicinal
Herbs
Everything You Need to Know
Explained Simply
By Wendy M. Vincent
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GROWING HEALING AND MEDICINAL HERBS: EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW EXPLAINED SIMPLY Copyright © 2011 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Vincent, Wendy M., 1975—
The complete guide to growing healing and medicinal herbs : everything you need to know explained simply / by: Wendy
M. Vincent.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-351-8 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-60138-351-7 (alk. paper)
1. Medicinal plants. 2. Herbs--Therapeutic use. I. Title.
SB293.V56 2010
633.8’8--dc22
2010041275
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A few years back we lost our beloved pet dog Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the “Vice President of
Sunshine” here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents.
Bear was a rescue dog who turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every
person and animal he met (well, maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.
We wanted you to know a portion of the profits of this book will be donated in Bear’s memory to local animal shelters, parks,
conservation organizations, and other individuals and nonprofit organizations in need of assistance.

– Douglas and Sherri Brown PS: We have since adopted two more rescue dogs: first Scout, and the following year, Ginger. They were
both mixed golden retrievers who needed a home.
Want to help animals and the world? Here are a dozen easy suggestions you and your family can implement today:
Adopt and rescue a pet from a local shelter.
Support local and no-kill animal shelters.
Plant a tree to honor someone you love.
Be a developer — put up some birdhouses.
Buy live, potted Christmas trees and replant them.
Make sure you spend time with your animals each day.
Save natural resources by recycling and buying recycled products.
Drink tap water, or filter your own water at home.
Whenever possible, limit your use of or do not use pesticides.
If you eat seafood, make sustainable choices.
Support your local farmers market.
Get outside. Visit a park, volunteer, walk your dog, or ride your bike.
Five years ago, Atlantic Publishing signed the Green Press Initiative. These guidelines promote environmentally friendly practices,
such as using recycled stock and vegetable-based inks, avoiding waste, choosing energy-efficient resources, and promoting a no-
pulping policy. We now use 100-percent recycled stock on all our books. The results: in one year, switching to post-consumer recycled
stock saved 24 mature trees, 5,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of the total energy used for one home in a year, and the equivalent
of the greenhouse gases from one car driven for a year.
DISCLAIMER: This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. This book is
for entertainment purposes and is meant to increase your knowledge of the latest developments in using
herbs for medicinal purposes. The information given here is not intended as a substitute for any treatment
that may have been prescribed by your doctor. Herbs and other natural care remedies are not substitutes
for professional medical care. We urge you to seek the best medical resources available to help you make
informed decisions. You should consult your physician or a physician with expertise in herbs before
treating yourself with herbs or combining them with any medication. Women who are pregnant, may
become pregnant, or are considering becoming pregnant should not use herbs or other medications without
seeking the approval of their doctors. The information in this book is intended for adults, and you should
consult your child’s pediatrician before administering any herbal treatment to a child, especially one under
the age of 2. If you suspect you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help before
taking herbal treatments.
DEDICATION &
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is dedicated to the generations of gardeners
who have come before me.
I would like to thank my supportive circle of friends and family for encouraging
me to reach for the stars. To my parents, who instilled in me a love of learning
and books at an early age, and to my in-laws for so warmly welcoming me into
their family many years ago. To my husband for his enduring love,
encouragement, and support. And to my children, the next generation of dirty
hands and green thumbs.
Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Chapter 1: Medicines From the Earth
Chapter 2: Thyme Began in a Garden
Chapter 3: Useful Healing Herbs
Chapter 4: Getting Dirty
Chapter 5: Propagation and Planting
Chapter 6: Garden Care
Chapter 7: Harvesting the Bounty of the Seasons
Chapter 8: Using Herbs
Chapter 9: Body Systems and Herbs to Promote Health
Chapter 10: Selling Healing Herbs
Final Thoughts
Appendix A : Additional Healing Recipes
Appendix B: Quick Reference List to Healing Herbs
Appendix C: Resources
Glossary
Bibliography
Author Biography
Healing Herbs from A to Z: A Look at Healing Herbs
Introduction
Historically, herbs have been grown not only for their ornamental and edible
uses, but also for their healing and medicinal power. Throughout the centuries,
herbs were grown to treat various ailments including toothaches, open wounds,
the pains of childbirth, bronchitis, and digestive problems. Prior to written
history, herbal folklore traditions for the medicinal uses of herbs were passed
down from one generation to another through tightly guarded, familial oral
histories and hands-on learning experiences. Each individual family, tribe, and
civilization had its own herbal remedies based on custom and the medicinal
plants that were locally available. Native American women, for example, would
prepare a tea from the root of the cotton plant to alleviate problems associated
with childbirth. Medicinally, the root of the cotton plant helps tighten the uterus
and encourage regular menstruation after childbirth.
The combination of the written word with the explorative nature of the human
spirit, however, has allowed cultures to assimilate herbal remedies from a wide
range of backgrounds and historical uses into a readily available base of
contemporary treatments. Naturopathic doctors, for instance, often use the ages-
old remedy of stinging nettle to eliminate mucus in the treatment of coughs and
allergies. Modern cultures around the world continue to incorporate ancient
herbal healing traditions into their own medical treatments in an effort to
improve the quality of life and triumph over illness.
Throughout history, cultures have relied on the wisdom of prior generations to
learn how to use medicinal plants in healing. Examples of the significant role
that herbs play throughout history can be found in a variety of cultures around