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Garden DIY Pharmacy

You may be imagining the satisfaction you’ll feel at having a pantry full of canned vegetables and dried herbs come winter, but there’s another very important role your garden can play in your life. All medicine that is used today has a common ancestor: herbs and other plants that were once used to treat almost every ailment known to man. There are many plants that can be used for natural remedies to your every day medical needs. Even if you aren’t quite sure about the herbal “medicine” that you’ve seen as a promise for cancer, consider that some things are perfectly logical – such as aloe straight from the plant helping ease a sunburn. pharm

Here are three plants you may way to consider planting to create your own DIY pharmacy:

Tea tree: This plant’s oil is often sold in topical ointments for things like hair loss, dandruff, or athlete’s foot. But this plant is a total antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic herb. It can be used for headaches when brewed as a tea, as a topical treatment for acne or warts, and as a soothing paste for burns or bug bites.
Lemon balm: Rubbing the leaves of a lemon balm plant against your skin can help get rid of bug bites or sores, and can also help guard against infection from animal bites. Tossing some leaves into water can help get rid of coughs, fevers, headaches, upset stomach, and even depression or insomnia.
Yarrow: Scientists have proven that this plant has pain-relieving characteristics, and that ingesting this plant can help stop bleeding. It can also help stop muscle spasms, inflammation, and even calm anxiety. Not to mention it is great for digestion. Plus, it’s easy to grow and pests don’t tend to bother it.

There are many other herbs and plants that can be used for medicinal treatment. To start living a truly self-sufficient life, add a few of these plants to your garden next year.