$34 Billion Spend Annually on Alternative Medicine

If you needed another reason to grow your own herbs besides your love of gardening, your passion for fresh herbs for teas, cooking or crafts or creating your own herbal remedies, a recent study shows how economical your herb garden actually is.



According to a study that was recently released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

"That includes a wide range of services from meditation and yoga to dietary supplements, such as echinacea and ginseng."

The article, $34 billion spent yearly on alternative medicine, states:

"Alternative medicine now accounts for more than 11 percent of out-of-pocket spending on health care in the United States, the researchers said.

About 44 cents out of every dollar spent on alternative medicine was for products like fish oil, glucosamine and echinacea. Spending on these products was nearly $15 billion, or about a third of what Americans spend out-of-pocket for prescription drugs."

Because herbs and herbal preparations sold do not fall under FDA guidelines, many experts and concerned about contamination in products that consumers just naturally think are regulated.

So, in addition to your herb garden and personal herbal blends being easier on the pocketbook, they are probably a lot safer than purchased supplements.

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All written content ©2010 Patrice Campbell unless otherwise noted.

Nasturtiums for Dinner

You probably have nasturtiums planted in the flower garden or in containers because of the beauty of the flowers.


It’s also possible that you have them tucked into the vegetable garden because of their reputation as a great companion plant.

Many of us forget that nasturtium is actually an herb and used by many cooks.

Use Nasturtium as Spice and Garnish

The nasturtium is sometimes called Indian Cress and is, in fact, a close cousin of true watercress. Fresh nasturtium leaves can substitute anywhere true watercress is called for. If you like watercress sandwiches, try a nasturtium leaf sandwich instead.

The leaves of the herb will add a slightly peppery taste to salads and soups. Try this great summertime cucumber salad with nasturtiums.

The flowers of the nasturtium can be used as well as the herb leaves. The bright colors of yellow, orange and red brighten a simple dish of applesauce as well as making a festive herbal butter.

Get the Kids Involved

The only part of the nasturtium that can’t be eaten is the seed, which is full of oxalic acid. But don’t let that go to waste because nasturtiums are easy to grow.

Get the kids involved in gardening by giving them a few seeds. Once they stick the herb into a pot of soil or a section of the herb garden, all they need is a bit of water and sunshine. Let the kids gather the tiny leaves and add them to their vegetable to entice them to eat them for a change.

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Divide and Share Your Garden Herbs

As you do the spring cleanup of the herb garden, you’ll probably find shoots from the perennial herbs and want to take a quick break for a cup of herbal tea as the scent from the fresh, tender leaves surround you. Before you start the teakettle, take the time to divide the thyme, chive, oregano and mint plants first, and turn that fresh herb tea time into a gathering with friends. Present each guest with a potted herb you’ve taken from your garden and trade herbal recipes and gardening tips.

Remember not to let your guests thank you for a shared garden plant. By gardening tradition, that thanks is done by passing a rooting or division on to someone else.

Once back to the herb garden, look over the upright thyme and lavender and give them a light groom. Don’t pull them out, even though they probably look quite dead. It takes a bit longer for new growth to show on the old branches of these herb plants. The deadwood can be identified and removed later in the spring, once the new growth has sprouted from most of the branches.

The tarragon, sage, lavender and thyme probably look like they won’t survive, but leave them alone. Pull the weeds, but don’t cut back the herbs until strong new growth appears.

As the April showers bring the herbs to life, continue to divide root clumps and runner roots so that the herb plants get good air circulation. When your friend’s gardens are full, consider donating the potted herbs to clubs holding fundraisers. Senior citizen clubs are often filled with gardeners who would enjoy receiving a living herb plant. Make sure the pots are properly marked with the name of the herb.

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Start your 2010 Herbal Journal

Did you get your seed catalogs? If not, they should be arriving any day. Pull out your graph paper and pencil and start redesigning your herb garden.


As you look through the seed catalogs, gardening magazines and websites take notes and keep them in a 3-ring binder so you have your own herbal journal. You can always add sections for recipes using herbs, an herb wish list, and tips on growing, using and preserving herbs.

Sub divide your sections so you can easily find information herbal cooking, medicinal herbs, herbal beauty products, potpourri recipes, essential oils and decorating with herbs.

Another way the herbal journal will come in handy is to record how well your herbs grew so that next year you can try planting them in a different area of the garden or perhaps purchase the herbs from a different vendor.

Don’t forget a section for thing you might try someday. For instance, if you think you might want to make homemade herbal sachets and pillows for gifts, you might want to keep track of ideas and tips as you find them. Here’s your first tip:

If you plan on making herbal Christmas decorations for next year, get out now and buy Christmas fabrics at a deep discount.

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New Year Indoor Herb Garden

As the holiday ornaments are taken down and put away, fill the empty spaces by starting an indoor herb garden. Attractive, aromatic, and handy, the growing herbs will cozy up your newly barren spaces.


Fresh herbs are preferred to dry by most cooks, and can easily be grown in a container on the window sill or kitchen counter. Herbs can be kept close at hand throughout the year, or transplanted in the garden when the weather permits.

Sage, basil, parsley, chives, and oregano will fit nicely in a strawberry type planter and be an attractive addition to you kitchen. Just snip off what you need as you cook.

The most popular herbs for a kitchen herb garden are spearmint, savory, basil, oregano, sage, dill, parsley and chives. You can start these indoors on the window sill and later move them. As long as you’re planting, add other cooking favorites, like thyme, rosemary, lavender, mint and some scented geranium.

Remember to control your mints by planting them in a metal container to keep them from overtaking you container or kitchen garden.