More Hidden Treasures in your garden.

Yesterday, I posted my joy in discovering a plant I acquired to grow in a dark shady place turned out to be a valuable variety of ginger.  Today I had a lot of time on my hands waiting on someone else and did a little research on some of the other plants I have growing to baffle the lawn guards.  You see, if I grow a lot of flowering plants and place vegetables in between, no one notices when they are flowering or fruiting.

ALOE vera

  
Aloe Vera is a great statement plant that hides the fact that pineapple grows in my garden and is used for burns and small cuts and scrapes and a skin softener.
Basil, a great herb for cooking also used to treat intestinal parasites.  
Catnip. besides making the cat happy and I grow a little around the trash can at the roadside to keep the strays out of my backyard, is a digestive aid, a tranquilizer and sleep aid.
Chamomile is my favorite headache relief in tea form also used for arthritis and boosting the immune system.

Dandelion

Dandelion, I have an area I let go to weed, it flowers in dandelion and shasta daisy.  The Dandelion tea is a diuretic also used for urinary tract infections. 
Echinacea has gotten a lot of hype as a curative for the cold, I don't know but it is a good anti-inflammatory.
Eucalyptus grows down the street and I am allowed to trim all I want from it.  Used for relief from colds, flu and as an anti-bacterial.
Fennel grows wild here so, if you need it for prostate cancer, I can tell you where to get it.
Ginger and shampoo ginger I spoke of yesterday.  

Lantana

Hibiscus- A Southern favorite.  Makes a nice tea and is used as a remedy for colds and dissolving phlegm.
Lantana berries are said to be edible when fully black and ripe but I was warned off them as mildly poisonous and my grandmother's voice still rings in my ears.  I let lantan grow here for it's profusion of flowers and the fact that aphids hate it.  I plant tender vegetables near it to keep them safe from infestation.
Lavender has a calming effect and in a sachet, aids in restful sleep.

www.lemonbalmcream.com 

Lemon Balm I use as a repellant tfpr mosquitos.  It is touted as an aid for menstrual cramps.
Lemon Grass I use as a border plant and is good for fever and rheumatism.

Mexican marigold

Marigold is grown for the repeating flowers like the lantana and to ward off bugs in the garden.  Fresh or dried leaves of the mexican variety substitute for tarragon in cooking.
Salvia OFFICIANALIS or, common sage, only is grown for it's scent, and as a flavoring in food.  The psychedelic is not sold locally and is harmful when used.
Pineapple is a great source of vitamin C and manganese, but the root may also be eaten as an anti-inflammatory.

Plumbago

Plumbago, called leadwort, is in the mix to put a light blue flower in among all the yellow.  It's root in powdered form is used as a topical ointment (mixed with oil) for rheumatism.  1/2 tsp. with warm water is taken for diarrhea.


That's all the time I had to kill waiting for my sister's brand new car to be cured of it's recalled wiring failure.  Great way to kill a day, supporting your family when they need it and rocking the car dealers' free wi-fi and computers!  Maybe I didn't get a lot of yard saling or bubble bathing done, but my sister loves me and I got some research into my garden.  It is so much better than I thought with the medicinal uses of the plants I grow for show!   What's in YOUR garden? and, what does it do for YOU?