Summer Abundance - Herbs and their Benefits to Health and Healing

Black Eyed Susans

Summer is a time of true abundance. Foods are glorious and fresh and it seems easy to be healthy. Berries are going crazy: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries – all are wonderfully hydrating and a great source of vitamins. We have cherries and, of course, watermelon, figs, peaches, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, corn , avocados, and tomatoes –don’t even get me started on real, proper tomatoes! The list goes on.

Lots of herbs are in season and growing your own herbs can be wonderful on so many levels. Having that connection to the earth, caring for the plant in a mindful manner, watching it grow, and then harvesting it can really feel like a great accomplishment. It allows you to really slow down and to consider the great importance in taking care of nature and our environment. Planting vegetables or herbs to use for dinner is also a wonderful exercise for children of ages. We are going to need this next generation to sort out a lot of messes, so we need to teach them well!

Here are some abundant summer herbs that you might like to consider growing:

Basil – very easy to grow & so delicious! It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. I reach for basil either fresh, as a tea, or in tincture form whenever I get that scratchy throat or under-the-weather feeling. There are a variety of basil plants. Research indicates that Tulsi, or Holy, basil is the most powerful in terms of healing. It’s harder to find, although if you live in New York we are lucky to be able to find almost anything! I grew it from seed last year and it was very happy in pots in the back yard. Another bonus is that it is good for repelling mosquitoes and flies and is sometimes used on stings or bites.

Mint – again very easy to grow and delicious with food and as a tea. I grew it last year in the back yard in the same large plant box as my parsley and it took over and came back this year. There are many different kinds of mint, including peppermint.

Lavender – Lavender is always top of my list when people ask me what essential oils are good to start with, as it has so many wonderful properties –from antiseptic to calming to insect repelling. Growing the plant is a wonderful idea. You can dry the flowers, then grind them up with a mortar and pestle and make little sachets of calm for kids or yourself.

Other easy herbs to grow are Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, all of which have their own healing properties.

Wild herbs and plants
Having our land up on the mountain is a blessing in so many ways. It allows my children be growing up pretty feral (something important to me!) despite also being New York City kids. It keeps us sane, and it is also a wonderful place for creativity and healing.

Since having the land, I’ve set about learning every plant on it that I can use. Some of the native plants are new to me, since I am not native to the US, which is exciting. I’ve loved learning how the American Indians used each plant and I find it interesting that the there are variations depending on the region.

I harvest whatever is ready for me. Right now I have lots of St John’s Wort, so the kids are I are harvesting that. St John’s Wort was reputed to be valuable in exorcizing evil spirits(!). We use it either a tincture or tea for a low mood. Can be very helpful come midwinter!
 
My Oswego or Bee Balm is in full bloom, too. I transplanted this from a neighbor on the other side of the mountain who had it growing in abundance, both to our side of the mountain and to our little front garden in Brooklyn. Both plants are extremely happy. We use for it for headaches and as a digestive aid. It’s a lovely tea to drink before bed as it’s very relaxing.
 
Red Clover is usually in abundance most of the summer. We pick the heads and dry them out in the sun, to use for coughs and colds come winter.  
 
 
In the city my Black Eyed Susans & Echinacea are going crazy, up in the mountain they are just starting. Both of these we use for their immunostimulant qualities.
 
 
 Mullen is another plant I harvest on the mountain.  This was the hit for friends and family last winter with all the nasty chest colds and coughs going around. It’s a wonderful expectorant for congestion.
 
And towards the end of the summer the Goldenrod covers the land with its beautiful yellow hue. This is a great antibacterial for sore throats amongst other in things, including snake bites. Fortunately, we have not needed it for those!
 
Harvesting the plants that grow naturally on the land makes me feel grateful and connected and using the teas and tinctures keeps that feeling continuing even through the darkest winter, where I struggle.
 
TIPS for harvesting native plants
The most important thing to remember when collecting plants is to be sure you have positively 100% identified it. Many plants look similar to the ‘untrained’ eye and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

I wouldn’t collect from a road side or anywhere where the water source or air quality for the plant might be questionable.
Only gather what you need, if you take the whole lot –the plant won’t be able to reproduce and seed for the following year.
Process your herbs immediately, whether you are making a tincture or dry or making an infusion. Make sure you label them (even if you think you will remember!) with the name, the date collected and where you harvested them.
 
Some of my favorite reference/joyful reading guides (old and new) are

Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants & Herbs,

Foster & Duke Earth Medicine,

Earth Foods Michael A. Weiner,

The Rodale Herb Book,

Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World, and Using Plants for Healing by Nelson Coon.