When adding curb appeal to your new Hernando or Citrus County, Florida home, why not add some medicinal herbs to the bunch? Many people grow herbs to add flavor and enhance the taste of cooking, however, herbs are also used for medicinal purposes as well. Adding herbs to your garden will bring beautiful flowers and color to the outside of your home and if you plant them by the front door they add a wonderful aroma as well. You can also plant them in between vegetables and other plants to repel certain insects and pests from the rest of your garden. A few amazing herbs that grow well in the sunny climate of West Central Florida are listed below with just a couple of their medicinal properties.

Catnip – Catnip tea has been used for thousands of years. It can be used to help as a sleep aid, ease menstrual pain and also when applied directly to the skin, makes for a great insect repellent. Let’s not forget, your cat’s will love it, too!

Chamomile – Chamomile has the reputation of a whole-body healer. It can be used as a sleep aid, anxiety relief, digestive aid, menstrual pain, diarrhea, fever, colds, congestion, headaches. You can also grind up some Chamomile flowers, add some water and oatmeal and use it to treat skin irritations such as ulcers, infections, rashes, and burns.

Garlic – Garlic is referred to as the ‘miracle food’ and for good reason, there is not much that this herb can’t do. Garlic has been proven to fight infection, thin the blood, alleviate high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, stimulate the immune system and ear aches. Garlic contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin. However, cooked garlic seems to lessen these effects. So, it seems that taking this herb raw is the way to go. The lingering odors that are associated with garlic is not an old wives tale, it is very, very real. I suggest making a tincture that will lessen the odor and keep your friends around! For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, you can make a cough syrup out of garlic. Take a pound of fresh garlic, slice it and pour a quart of boiling water over it. Let it sit for 12 hours, and add sugar until you reach the a syrup-like consistency. You can add some honey for a much better taste.

Lemon Balm – Lemon Balm is one of the better tasting herbal teas. It aids in easing congestion and stuffiness when you have the cold or the flu. It’s great for fevers, respiratory infections and stomachaches, it can also calm the nerves and aid in digestion.

Enjoying the benefits of reaping what you sow in your garden can be a fun and wonderful forgotten art. Although many herbs can help us, there are also many that are harmful. Just because herbs are natural does not mean that all of them are safe. Take caution when preparing herbal remedies. Educate yourself or talk to a professional before ingesting any herbs that your body is not familiar with.

Other related articles that you may be interested in

Adding Flowers to Your new Hernando and Citrus County Home
Creating a Butterfly Garden in Hernando and Citrus County
Organic Gardening in Hernando and Citrus County