What Medicinal Plants are you planting this spring?

[Guest guest]

What's everyone putting into their garden for medicinal plants? I'm

planting boneset for the first time, it grows wild and scattered down in the

swamp but I though a wet spot in one of my garden beds might provide a good

spot.

NETTLES: they have taken over one corner of the garden. Been digging up

roots and transplanting them to other areas (and guerillerized onto other

people's property without their knowledge) to help spread the " green gold "

around. I like to have important plants planted in many different areas, if one

looses one spot due to a developer or a careless family member with a tractor

then one doesn't loose all the eggs in the basket. Big enough to start

harvesting some tops for nettle soup today.

COMFREY: Part of an ongoing project to plant a series of interesting

plants along an old railroad bed recreational trail near a health food store

where I sometimes give classes. At some point I may be giving plant walks along

there, or someone else might say, " Comfrey? Wow, what's that growing here for!

I need some at home... "

VALERIAN: Went to seed last year and is now popping up all over my beds.

Transplanting back into one bed.

GARLIC: Planted last fall it's up and growing though no where near as

much as I would like to have growing.

MARSHMALLOW ROOT: More goodness in the wet swamp area of the garden.

Planting this in other locations too.

ACONITE: After a couple of years unsuccessfully trying to get monkshood

to grow from seed, bought some rootstock. Pretty flowers and a not too

unpleasant death by poison if that's your endgame. Well used by the Californian

Hispanic Herbalists for several things. D.Y.O.R.S.I.D.G.S. (Do your own

research so I don't get sued).

HORSERADISH: Somewhere I planted this and I can't find it. Doesn't seem

to be up yet. Not too sure what the baby leaves look like though. Big

ingrediant in the total tonic mix.

DANDELION: I let these grow in the beds last fall and this spring I'm

amazed at the quantity of free greens these have provided. I'm pulling them out

as I'm planting other crops. Medicinal or edible? YES to both. The roots

growing in the composted biointensive beds don't seem as bitter as the lawn

ones, probably weaker in medicinal value but I am trying a dandelion root wine

with them regardless. Tried steaming the greens rather than boiling them, I

like. A bit bitter and wild but wonderful with total tonic dressing it up.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES: These are more on the edible side, I like to plant

them around the neihborhood to have more wild edible foods available. Part of a

longer term survival strategy, both on the individual level and community level.

HOPI AND AZTEC TOBACCO: Growing indoors as it's too cold to transplant

outside. Medicinal? Well, depends on how you define medicinal. Sometimes the

border between plant medicine and prayer is mighty thin.

Got a bunch more planned but we're still early in the growing season with

frosts.