Millard - Backyard Pharmacy: Growing Medicinal Plants in Your Own Yard

First published in 2015 by Cool Springs Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA

2015 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Text 2015 Elizabeth Millard

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This book provides general information on various widely known and widely accepted home remedies. However, it should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting any specific diagnosis or method of treatment for a particular condition, and it is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or for direct diagnosis and treatment of a medical condition by a qualified physician. Readers who have questions about a particular condition, possible treatments for that condition, or possible reactions from the condition or from any treatment for the condition should consult a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. In addition, since reactions to the ingredients in the home remedies described in this book may vary from person to person, it is the readers responsibility to check the ingredients for a home remedy prior to use to determine if any ingredient may cause any allergic or other adverse reaction.

Except for the publishers website associated with this work, the publisher is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any websites, organizations or other sources of information referred to herein, and the publisher and the authors do not warrant the accuracy, completeness or currency of any information or recommendations provided by those sources.

The authors and the publisher shall not be liable for any damages allegedly arising from the information in this book, and they specifically disclaim any liability from the use or application of any of the contents of this book.

Digital edition: 978-1-62788-633-8

Softcover edition: 978-1-59186-596-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Millard, Elizabeth, author.

Backyard pharmacy : growing medicinal plants in your own yard / Elizabeth Millard.

pages cm

Other title: Growing medicinal plants in your own yard

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-59186-596-4 (sc)

1. Medicinal plants. 2. Gardening. I. Title. II. Title: Growing medicinal plants in your own yard.

SB293.M55 2015

633.88--dc23

2014044870

ISBN: 978-1-59186-596-4

Acquisitions Editor: Billie Brownell

Senior Art Director: Brad Springer

Layout: Diana Boger

Front Cover Design: Laura Drew

Cover photo: Anita Oberhauser; Getty Images

Growing Medicinal Plants in Your Own Yard

ELIZABETH MILLARD

For Bossy K, always

This book was written in the middle of farming season while my fantastic partner, Karla Pankow, and I were living in a camper on rented land with our two dogs, Idgy and Ruthie. It took an inordinate amount of patience and fortitudeand I dont mean on my part. So, thanks first of all to the best Bossy of all, and our very supportive pups.

Thanks, too, to my editor Billie Brownell, and to Cool Springs Press, for shepherding this project out the camper door.

Also, I owe a deep level of gratitude to the thousandseven millionsof growers who came before me and were such artful stewards of the land. Farmers, foragers, herbalists, gardeners, and healers, I thank you all.

M y adventure with medicinal plants began with a very simple preparation of dandelion leaves, red clover, and plantain, roughly shredded and mashed together with some apple juice, and left to ferment in the sun for a few hours. I was in kindergarten. The potion was supposed to help my friend Val win the love of her unrequited crush, Bruce, and when I got stung by a bee while picking the clover, I took it as a sign that this would be a powerful brew indeed. Unfortunately, he refused to drink it, trashing my reputation as a budding herbalist. Thanks for nothing, Bruce.

Since then, Ive used herbs and other medicinal plants for more realistic purposes like soothing sore muscles, improving digestion, banishing headaches, and addressing the approximately one million mosquito bites I get every summer at Bossy Acres, the farm I own with my partner, Karla Pankow. Every year, we experiment with new varieties of medicinal plants like valerian, calendula, chamomile, and yarrow growing alongside culinary favorites like basil and thyme.

Although Im not a professional herbalistyetIve been fond of herbs since that first failed potion, and our little medicinal garden at Bossy Acres feels like a revelation every growing season. For meals, we throw a collection of plants together that includes both cultivated and wild selections, so lambs quarters might cozy up to peppermint, with grilled garlic bringing it all together. Its not uncommon for guests to start a dinner discussion with, Now, what am I eating?

In addition to being useful, medicinal plants can also make an outdoor living space look more vibrant.

Three small bundles of thyme, ready to give as gifts, or for use in a preparation.

Part of the appeal of medicinals for me comes from being drawn to self-sufficiency, sustainability, and better control over my health. Ive always been an advocate of health-care over sick-care, and part of that difference springs from preventative measuresstaying de-stressed, connecting with nature, sleeping well, eating real food, and using plants with known medicinal properties for boosting immunity and reducing inflammation. To me, all of these strategies are interconnected.

Im also humbled to be connected to a deep, rich history of medicinal tradition. For centuries, plants have been used in ritual and healing. Some of the oldest documents from Chinese and Egyptian culture describe medicinal uses of plants, and recently the World Health Organization estimated that 80 percent of people worldwide still rely on herbal medicines for some aspect of their health care.

In terms of my own medicinal uses, youll find that Im particularly fond of very simple remedies. I greatly admire herbalists who create five-herb blends that address specific conditions, but I gravitate toward one-herb, one-purpose kind of uses. If I have a sore throat, I gargle with a mix of hot water and crushed, dried cayenne. For those mosquito bites, I chew a plantain leaf and put the mushy result on them. Ive tried to create more combinations, but always find myself drifting back to easier approaches, usually resulting in lots and lots of tea.