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5 Plants That Can Make Your Yard Feel Like a Wellness Retreat
5 Plants That Can Make Your Yard Feel Like a Wellness Retreat
Your garden can be a home to what heals you. Here’s what a plant scientist wants you to know (and grow)
By: Cassandra L. Quave, PhD
As a scientist and explorer, I’ve spent decades scouring the world in search of nature’s next medicines. I’ve followed the trail of medicinal plants into the Amazon rainforest, across the Sharri mountains of the Balkans, through desert oases of North Africa, and vibrant markets halfway around the globe, learning from healing traditions practiced across cultures. But when it comes to the plants, I rely on most for the day-to-day health of my family, I can simply go to my backyard garden. Tucked between our tomatoes and cucumbers are raised beds and clay pots overflowing with plants that have the capacity to heal. Here are five of my favorites for supporting a healthy mind and body at home:
Tulsi: The Resilience Builder
Long revered in Ayurvedic traditions as an adaptogen and the “Elixir of Life,” tulsi (scientific name: Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Lamiaceae), also known as holy basil, has been used to support general health and resilience for centuries. Scientists have examined compounds like eugenol, caryophyllene, and a variety of other natural products produced by this plant for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In clinical studies, tulsi extracts have been linked to improvements in measures of stress, including reductions in cortisol levels, as well as enhancements in cognitive performance and other markers of wellbeing. This member of the mint family is a robust grower in my summer garden, and I use its fresh or dried leaves to brew healing teas, either alone or mixed with other medicinal mints such as peppermint, catnip, and lemon balm.
Chamomile: The Bedtime Bloom
The tiny daisy-like flowers of chamomile (scientific name: Matricaria chamomilla L., Asteraceae) have been helping people unwind and relax since the days of ancient Greece and Rome. Originating in the Mediterranean, the flowering tops of this herb are collected and shade-dried for use as a tea to calm nerves and support sleep. Researchers have shown that the flavonoid apigenin and sesquiterpene bisabolol, among other natural products made by the plant, may help explain these effects. Clinical studies suggest that chamomile supports relaxation and may ease mild anxiety symptoms. I love growing this one from seed in my medicinal plant garden bed.
Ginger: The Stomach Soother
One of the world’s most beloved plants for supporting digestion, ginger (scientific name: Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) has played a role in the healing traditions of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for millennia. The spicy kick from this medicinal rhizome comes from gingerol and shogaol compounds produced by the plant, which contribute to both its flavor and medicinal properties. Ginger is among the most studied herbs for the natural treatment of nausea, with numerous clinical studies examining its utility in treating motion sickness, pregnancy-related nausea, and digestive discomfort.
In the garden, ginger is a simple addition. Just grab some ginger root from your local market, soak it in water for a day to remove growth inhibitors, then break it into two-inch segments and allow them to dry before planting just beneath the soil surface. Ginger brings both medicine and beauty to your garden with its elegant flower spikes nestled among dense green leaves.
Rosemary: The Memory and Hair Herb
Rosemary (scientific name: Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., Lamiaceae) has long symbolized memory support, appearing in folklore and healing traditions across many cultures. Shakespeare even referenced it in Hamlet with the line, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” Scientists have become increasingly interested in compounds like rosmarinic acid and the aromatic terpenes produced by the plant, which may play a role in supporting cognitive health.
Beyond the brain, rosemary also has a long history of use in hair and scalp care, with studies showing promise for androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness) following treatment with rosemary oil. As a hardy perennial shrub, rosemary returns year after year in most climates, offering garden fragrance and fresh harvests for both your kitchen and medicine cabinet without the need for replanting!
Catnip: Not Just for Cats!
Catnip (scientific name: Nepeta cataria L., Lamiaceae) may be best known for sending our feline friends into a flurry of excitement, but humans also have a long history with this member of the mint family. During fieldwork in the Balkans, I encountered traditional uses of this plant as both a soothing tea and bathing herb for children who suffered from anxiety or nightmares. The key to this activity is a bitter compound called nepetalactone, which the plant naturally produces, and has been studied for its anti-anxiety effect. Though the bitterness is mild, some people may prefer to serve this brew with honey or blend it with other medicinal mints like Tulsi, peppermint, or lemon balm to soften the flavor.
Tips for Your Own Healing Garden
Home gardens can do much more than nourish us and add fresh flavors to our dishes; they can also serve as living medicine chests. One of the simplest ways to preserve medicinal herbs is by drying them for tea use, allowing you to enjoy your harvest long after the growing season has ended.
- For leafy herbs like tulsi, catnip, and rosemary, harvest fresh clippings during peak growth, bundle the stems loosely with natural twine, and hang them upside down in a cool, dry, shaded place for about a week or until fully dry.
- Once dried, strip the leaves from the stems and store them in clean, labeled jars in a cool, dark place. Chamomile flowers can be harvested individually and spread across a clean tea towel or drying screen until fully dry before storing. Ginger requires a slightly different approach: after harvesting the rhizomes, rinse and thinly slice them before drying the pieces in a warm, well-ventilated area or a food dehydrator.
- One of the joys of working with medicinal herbs is creating your own tea blends. I love combining different ratios of tulsi, lemon balm, peppermint, lavender, and catnip for a calming evening tea, but there is plenty of room to experiment based on your own tastes and wellness goals.
- To prepare tea, use approximately 1–2 teaspoons of dried loose-leaf herbs per mug of hot water and allow the mixture to steep for several minutes before enjoying.
There is something especially rewarding about brewing a cup of herbal tea from plants you have grown, harvested, dried, and blended yourself. So have fun with it, get your hands in the soil, and enjoy a cup to your health.
Key Takeaways
- Growing plants in your garden and making tea from them can boost physical and mental wellness.
- Five of the best health-promoting plants to grow at home are tulsi, chamomile, ginger, rosemary, and catnip.
- Drying these plants and making teas can help you manage everything from insomnia to hair loss to stomach trouble.
About the writer
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D., is an ethnobotanist, author, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine whose work explores the healing potential of plants. She is the host of the Foodie Pharmacology podcast, author of The Plant Hunter, and writer of the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter on Substack, where she shares the science behind the plants that shape our health and daily lives. Learn more about her work at https://www.cassandraquave.com/
