Medicinal gardens were common in Victorian times and in the early years in America. You may ask what makes a regular garden different from a medicinal garden.

The herbs and plants selected and grown in these gardens have healing properties and are used to treat a variety of illnesses. Usually the medicinal herb is steeped in water to make an herbal tea. Honey and lemon are often added to make herbal tea taste better.

Sometimes the herbs are mixed with other ingredients to make a natural home remedy. These are usually in the form of a cream or oil.  Handmade herbal soaps are often used for skin conditions. I use a jewelweed soap to help with poison ivy, which is all over my property.

Planning an herb garden

• Herbs are hardy plants. Plant them in an area where the soil is average or a little sandy. They don’t need rich soils and actually do better with less care
• Most herbs do well with less water so be careful not to over water them.
• Herbs have a natural wild like look and when planning a garden you can create a nice look with added rocks and wood pieces.
• If you use your garden for medicinal purposes or crafting lying your garden out in a circular pattern makes harvesting easier.

Starting Herbs from Seed

• Start the seeds indoors in small pots with a fluorescent light over them or in an area that get sunlight. I find that added fluorescent light makes a sturdier plant.
• Sow the seeds approximately six weeks before the last frost in your growing zone.
• Use a very thin layer of soil over the herb seed. Herbs like to be sown close to the soil top.
• Water your seeds pots sparingly and carefully to avoid dislodging seed. I water from beneath and set the pot into a tray of water. I make sure the soil top does not get wet and remove and set on a tray of pebbles to make sure they drain well and to add humidity around the seedlings. Water from underneath discourages soil mold.
• Two weeks before the last scheduled frost for your area, you will need to begin hardening your transplants off. This is a very important step many people don’t do. Take you plants outdoors a few hours at a time each day. This acclimates you new plants to direct sun and wind.
• Make sure you wait to plant your herbs outdoors until after the last frost for your region.

You can grow your plants directly in the outdoor herb garden or transplant them into larger pots for a container garden. If I grow directly in the garden I make a temporary cold frame over them to encourage faster growth. This is not necessary but it does speed up the plants growth and give them added protection when they are young.

Transplants

• If you purchase transplants at the garden center or greenhouse make sure you select healthy plants. Check the plants roots to see if they are root bound. Do not buy plants with unhealthy looking leaves. Also check for insects on the plants. You don’t need to bring home bugs.
• I acclimate the herb plants to sun and the outdoors to prevent plant shock like above. Set the plants out for an hour or two a day to get used to sun and wind.
• When you are ready to plant tilt the pots gently to remove the herb plant with as little disturbance to the roots as possible.
•  Plant them after the last frost for your area.
• Water thoroughly after planting and wait for a cloudy day to plant or late in the afternoon so that the plant isn’t subjected to an entire day of bright sun.

If you plan on using your herb garden for herbal treatments always use care and know what you are doing. Herbs can be strong and proper care and use are a must.

With garden season about to start I am checking my supplies of necessary tools and
help aids. I start many plants from clippings so I always need a root growth hormone to speed up cuttings creating new roots.

Rooting hormones are available in most gardening centers and are a big help in
rooting certain plants. Besides helping a cutting to root quicker most rooting hormones
act as a fungi and bacterial control. I use them a lot particularly in the spring and fall.

If you run out of rooting hormone, are in a pinch for money or just like to experiment
and try new things you can make your own rooting liquid.

Find a willow tree or shrub. Any variety of willow (salix) will do. Just don’t trim the
bush in your neighbor’s front yard. Select fresh twigs what are ¼ inch thick. I cut the
willow twigs into three to four inch pieces with clippers.

You will need two cups of clippings to make a one-gallon batch of willow bark rooting
hormone. The next step is to place the willow clippings into a large container. I use an
old enamelware pot I picked up at the sale.

Cover the clippings with one gallon of boiling hot water. Let the mixture brew overnight. This releases a natural chemical in the willow called IBA (indolebutyric acid), which is a natural growth regulator. Store the willow bark rooting hormone in the refrigerator the next day in a clear glass container with a tight lid. I use a canning jar.

To use soak tip cuttings into the willow bark rooting hormone overnight prior to planting
in soil. The IBA infuses into the bark and stems encouraging rooting. It also inhibits fungus, bacteria and viral disease.

I have used the homemade willow rooting hormone many times. It has always worked. I
have also used a watered down version to water my young seedling with.

It’s a funny sounding name but this plant called the “Air Potato” can cause severe environmental problems. The crop was brought from Africa and Asia to Florida in 1905 to be evaluated as a crop but the taste is not as tasty as the regular potato. They are also somewhat bitter and can be potentially poisonous.

Another drawback to the plant that researchers noticed was that it was quick to spread. Plants taken out of their natural habitat often become invasive in a new environment. Scientists and horticulturalists warned the government of this possible problem and to limit its use and growth in America.

But the plant had beautiful heart shapes leaves and avid gardeners seeking unusual plants wanted it, so it started appearing in plant shops.

The plant started out as a houseplant but it soon moved into gardens, particularly in the warmer southern climates. The plant soon escaped the gardens and entered the wild lands where it would overtake the pine trees often growing as tall as 60 foot. The Florida Hammocks seem to be the worst hit by the Air Potato. It is literally destroying these valuable hardwood trees.

Because of its fast growth and spreading habit it is displacing native species and is almost impossible to destroy.

The Air Potato produces little warty potato-like tubers (called bulbils) on vining stems. The vine will climb into shrubs and trees slowly overtaking them. The vines block the sunlight from the plants and trees, which they need to survive and they weaken, get diseased and slowly die.

Once the Air Potato becomes established in the wild, it begins producing countless little bulbils on its stems. The bulbil can be as small as your fingernail but will sprout and result in a new plant. These bulbils can float and travel long distances. Hawaii and Florida have been plagues with the problem for a long time but the plant is now spreading along the Gulf Coast and is showing up in other areas too.

Air potato plants are illegal in Florida, Alabama and will be illegal in more states soon. They are on the invasive list and conservation and environmental agencies urgently request that you do not grow this plant. One careless gardener can create a problem in their backyard for years to come.

If you live in an area plagued with Air Potatoes call your conservation agency if you find the plants growing near you. Sprays can combat the problem and digging up and removing the bulbils will help keep the plant from spreading and causing more damage.

Unusual plants, particularly with funny names are fun to grow in your garden but you need to know their background and history and check to see if they are on the invasive plant list.