Herbs and wildflowers
By April Charmaine

Dreaming of patches of wildflowers and herbs? Great!

There are so many possibilities for your success and enjoyment.

Perennials are actually a good choice to begin inside, as they will gain a better chance at life. Exotic flowers will tend to do better in pots, and native flowers will do best outdoors. Flowers such as iris, columbines, dahlias, lupines, lilies, alliums, poppies, bellflowers, gas plant and coral bells are safe to plant in spring after the final frost. Growing an array of herbs will also be a great addition to any garden.

“I would focus on herbs that are both easy to grow in our climate, have multiple uses and are generally recognized as being safe for home use,” says Dr. Caitlin O’Connor, Naturopathic doctor and owner of All Families Natural Health.

“Some examples would be calendula, chamomile, horehound, fennel, lemon balm, yarrow or catnip,” says Dr. O’Connor.

She suggests starting early by planning to grow an assortment of herbs for healing and function. “If you want immediate gratification, plant herbs that have their medicinal properties concentrated in the leaf and flowers; that way you can harvest them in the first year and start making your own medicine.”

“Once we remember how to grow and use herbs, it not only strengthens our relationship to the earth,” she says, “but it also strengthens and deepens our relationship to our own health and the health of our family and friends.”

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