Did you know that out of 119 pharmaceutical drugs derived from plants, 74% are used just as the plants were used by natives hundreds of years ago? Botanists for pharmaceutical companies are currently studying little known plants gathered from various locations to determine what medicinal values they may have.
These same plants have been in nature's community for eons of time.
What this proves conclusively is that scientists are going back to abandoned herb garden information for manmade alternatives.
What does this mean to you? It means that many of the medicines required for your better health can be grown, harvested, and processed inexpensively, right where you live.
If natives were able to make herbal medicines without having the luxury of published research, why can't we produce similar medicines with documented, proven procedures? Unlike our early ancestors, we don't have to hunt for the herbs required to make these products.
They can be bought from many different vendors.
Herbal medicines are a great reason for having an herb garden, but there are other reasons, too.
Many herbs are used for seasoning food.
These are known as culinary herbs.
These include: Anise, coriander, mint, chives, oregano, parsley, and others too numerous to mention in a short article.
Every cook is familiar with herbs as seasonings.
Because mankind has become so captivated by the taste of food, herbs have become very important in every kitchen and restaurant.
Every chef and good cook realizes the importance of seasoning their dishes.
Most of the seasonings you want for culinary use are easily grown in your garden.
Another important use of herbs pertains to the scents that they produce.
No doubt, everyone is familiar with the smell of mint.
You may or may not like it, but it is useful as more than just a culinary seasoning.
The aroma it produces serves as a protection to vegetable gardens.
The fragrances confuse the egg-laying moths.
They go elsewhere to lay these eggs that hatch into leaf-eating, crop-destroying caterpillars, leaving your garden alone and your plants healthy.
Coriander, summer savory, and other annual herbs are protective of your vegetable garden, too.
Most herbs can be grown from inexpensive seeds.
Even herbs purchased as plants are not extremely expensive.
Like other plant life, some herbs are annuals and some are perennials.
If you decide to start an herb garden, start with a few and increase the variety and quantity over the years.
Don't invest in only perennials because rotation of herbs is just as important as rotation of vegetable crops.
Cultivation of your herb garden is a process, not an event.
Investment of time is a necessary part of that process, but it doesn't take a lot of time for a small, successful herb garden.
Get all the herb garden information you need to make yours the best.
Don't be discouraged if everything you plant doesn't live.
The best gardeners, after all, are not always successful, and all gardeners experience successes and failures which only enhance and improve their gardening skills.