Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your Garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

Well, I definitely don’t have a garden like our old nursery rhyme friend Mary, and knowing the origin of this poem I am certainly glad I do not! There are three herbs in my garden however, that I would definitely recommend planting. My three favourite herbs that I keep in abundance are lavender, mint, and chamomile.

The use of these herbs can be traced back to medieval times, and are still widely used today for a number of things, including consumption. These herbs are grown easily in your own backyard, and are wonderful additions to tea, especially green and white teas, although they can of course, be used on their own.

Lavender

The name lavender comes from the Latin word ‘lavare’ which means ‘to wash’. Lavender is a perennial; the flowers grow in small spikes and are purple, or lavender, in colour. It smells wonderful in gardens and is fairly rugged. Because there are so many different varieties of lavender, you are sure to find a type that will go with any garden.  Lavender has many uses and has been a staple herb for ages. It is an herb that was used frequently in Pre-Christian Europe – made into a wash and used externally, as it is an excellent herb for skin conditions such as acne. (It is considered a purifying herb)

I personally use lavender oil to get rid of my headaches by rubbing it on my temples and forehead – a practice invented long, long before my time. Another use for lavender is of course, tea! Lavender is a nervine. Nervine herbs function as a tonic for the nervous system. Lavender tea is used to calm ravaged nerves, help reduce stress, induce relaxation and combat fatigue. It is also a carminative herb – pleasant for digestion and releasing tension in the the body. Of course, anyone who has ever been close to lavender would agree that it has a strong and pleasant scent. It is an aromatic herb, making it a perfect addition to other herbs, or tea, to make them more palatable.

Peppermint

Peppermint, by far, has both the sweetest scent and flavour of all of the mints. The smell often reminds us of candy canes and Christmas. Peppermint is a broad-leafed plant that has serrated, spikey looking edges. Like all mints, peppermint is a fast growing plant. If not cultivated, it will spread quickly, and take over the space needed by other garden plants.

Lore has it that peppermint is a visionary herb. It is said that drinking peppermint tea before bed makes for interesting dreams.

Peppermint is a very mild anodyne (pain reliever) because of the presence of menthol in the plant. For aches, pains and bruises, peppermint oil can be used in the same way as lavender oil – by gently rubbing it on the affected area. Take note: Peppermint will create heat when rubbed on skin, so large amounts should not be used, and it should not be used on open wounds.

My favourite tea by far is peppermint and lavender. I call the combination of the two, ’sleepy time tea’, because together they are a refreshing, but very relaxing combination that is perfect before bed. I have enjoyed the two of them mixed together for many years. I finally created a special blend of the two herbs, using the finest peppermint leaves available, to create one of our signature teas, “Peppermint Dream”, which we will be launching in early January.

Chamomile

Chamomile is an aromatic herb. In the middle ages, chamomile was used as a stewing herb. Because it is a very hardy plant, it was also planted on pathways because it would survive when trampled on, and gives off a nice fragrance when crushed underfoot.

“Like a chamomile bed

The more it is trodden

The more it will spread”

It is a very hardy plant. It is daisy like, with very soft fine leaves. It survives in gardens to be sure, and is also very often found in the wild. An interesting thing about growing chamomile is that it brings health to the other plants in the garden. Folklore indicates that it will bring health to any other plant it grows next to – earning it the nickname, ‘Plants Physician’. It was the most used herb in Ancient Egyptian medicine where it was dedicated to the Sun God for it’s healing powers.

Chamomile, like lavender, is a nervine. It is used today primarily as a tea, as a very mild sedative that will bring you down a notch on restless days and nights. It eases the nerves, and promotes drowsiness. It will definitely comfort even the most anxious person into a good night’s sleep if consumed before bed, although some would say that it is an acquired taste because of it’s earthy quality. In addition to a sleeping agent, it is also known for it’s treatment of pain and has been added to lotions and balms to treat muscle aches.

These three herbs are definitely worth planting in your garden this coming spring!

Thanks to Jaiden for the photo of Brenna in the Herb Garden.

For more photos taken by this photographer, visit:

Just Jaiden

For more information on the gruesome origins of the nursery rhyme Mary Mary, visit:

Bloody Mary – Mary Tudor, Daughter of King Henry VIII