Growing a medicinal herb garden should be a part of everyone’s garden plan. You do not need to have a specific garden space for medicinal herbs, you can pepper them throughout your kitchen garden and yard. So many medicinal herbs are wonderfully beautiful and beneficial in the garden. I could not pick a single medicinal herb as my favorite to grow, there are so many! Herbs are pretty easy to grow and are good starting plants for beginner gardeners. Generally speaking, you will want to start seeds indoors approximately 60 days before your last frost. This is a general rule as some seeds will need longer and others shorter time to grow before your last frost date. I suggest following the guidelines on the seed packet. Some herbs will need stratification, I suggest purchasing these from a quality nursery unless you have some experience starting seeds already. Today I want to share some medicinal herbs I have grown in the past and will grow again this year, this is not a complete list, but ones I want to point out. This list also does not include common culinary herbs which also have medicinal benefits. Some are perennial and others I grow as annuals, this will depend on your growing zone. Some should be grown in containers like herbs in the mint family (Lamiaceae) to prevent them from overtaking your garden. If you decide to grow nettles, please make sure you grow it somewhere that it can not be easily rubbed against to avoid its sting, especially with children. (Also wear gloves to harvest and process.)

• Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
• Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
• Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) -Often called bee balm, but I prefer to make the distinction between the two.
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
• California Poppy (Eschscholizia californica)
• Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
• Elecampane (Inula helenium)
• German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
• Holy Basil/Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum and O. Sanctum)
• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
• Milky Oats (Avena sativa)
• Spearmint and Peppermint (Mentha spp.) I grow these in containers only!
• Spilanthes (Acmella oleracea)
• Stinging Nettles/Nettles (Urticaria diocia) Grown in a container away from people.
• Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

There are many more herbs I plan to grow, but this is a good list to inspire you. I suggest doing research about any herbs you plan to grow to make sure they will thrive in your garden. It also helps to know why you are growing them as well as their benefits, actions, energetics and how you plan to use them in your home apothecary. A wonderful resource that I suggest to anyone who asks me for medicinal herb growing coaching or advice is The Healing Garden written by my main medicinal herb teacher Juliet Blankespoor. It is filled with so much information for not only planning and growing an herb garden, but what to do with all the herb goodness once it’s harvested. If you are just setting out on the herbal path or you’ve been using herbs for a long time and want to grow your own, this book will be of benefit to you. Plus at the time of this writing there are fantastic book bonuses available after you purchase the book! You can find the details here: The Healing Garden Book Bonuses I always suggest working with an herbalist to figure out what herbs will be best for you and your family. (It’s never a one size fits all situation.) Please let me know in the comments which herbs you are planning to grow and how you like to use them.