CREATE A GARDEN APOTHECARY

Nine herbal helpers that will be more than decorative

PASS the tissues – the season of colds and low mood is upon us. At this time of year, we regularly pop vitamin C tablets and guzzle cough medicine as a way to prevent and treat common viruses.

However, you don’t need to rely on over-the-counter remedies for everything, as the garden can provide a plethora of plants believed to have preventative and healing powers. And while it’s too early to plant most of them, this period of relative inactivity in the gardening calendar is the ideal time to plan a small herb border, or to decide where to dot healing herbs through existing beds, all ready for spring.

The easiest way to enjoy garden medicine is to make a brew. Herbal tea used to boost health is known as a tisane, and you can buy teapots with in-built infusers or use a simple tea strainer to let the leaves mash. The most popular tisane is fresh mint tea, which tastes leagues better than the stuff you buy in teabags. Peppermint

(Mentha x piperita) is the best leaf; drink it for concentration, digestion and to treat headaches.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is a must-have if you’re prone to insomnia – it can be used in a calming tea with a wonderful scent. Infuse rosemary leaves for inertia, fennel seeds for digestion and honeysuckle flowers for coughs.

You can also incorporate herbs into your cooking, following the advice of Hippocrates, who said: “Let food be thy medicine.” There are a range of options to brighten dishes and boost health: dill is said to ease stomach ache; thyme calms a hangover; and both sage and parsley help prevent and treat colds. Lesser-known medicinal herbs for cooking include chervil, which boosts the immune system, and summer savory, also thought to aid digestion.

Or why not soak away your aches and pains in a relaxing bath? Simply put some herbs from the garden into a muslin bag tied to the taps, or float them in the water. Roman chamomile

(Chamaemelum nobile) smells wonderful and helps to treat stress and insomnia; lavender soothes heartache and anxiety; rosemary relieves aching muscles; while peppermint eases a cold and will boost wellbeing.

Deciduous herbs (such as lemon verbena) can be dried in summer for winter use, while evergreens like rosemary can be enjoyed fresh all year round. By growing a selection you will have your own natural medicine cabinet for basic ailments – free of charge and just outside your door.

Pretty enough to earn their place in any garden, plants such as chamomile and black elder can benefit health and wellbeing, too. They look equally good in a dedicated bed for medicinal plants, or in a mixed border