Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/819093
gardening in bloom greenhouse flower beds flora horticulture shrubbery the green scene Herbs for Healing and Well-being R U T H F U R M A N writer many of us grow a few herbs in our gardens to use for culinary purposes or as ornamentals. Did you know that those very herbs you grow might contain nutritive properties that can benefit your health? The tradition of using herbs goes back a long way — to the time before pharmacies or doctors — when people relied on healing remedies found in nature. The medicinal use of herbs led to the creation of physic gardens, mainly found in medieval monas- teries, where plants were displayed and cultivated for treatment of diseases. The tradition of herbal medicine is still widely accepted in Europe and elsewhere. Here in the United States it is considered an alternative therapy. Let's step into the garden to find out what herbs are growing and what some of their health- promoting properties might be. Many of the herbs we grow hail from the Mediterranean area, which means they prefer a sunny, dry location. Interestingly, the mint or Lamiaceae family comprises most of the herbs we commonly cultivate and use because they have strong flavors. At the top of the list for summer is the annual basil, Ocimum basilicum, a happy herb with zest; its Mint B E T H F U R M A N 20 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7