Grow It, Heal It

Book excerpt: Where there's a symptom, there's also a homegrown cure. With just a windowsill, container, or small space, it's easy to grow an instant herbal remedy. Whether it's a cough, heartburn, joint pain, or neuralgia, readers will discover how easy it is to treat 40 ailments and conditions using herbs and herbal preparations they grow and make themselves. With inspiration found in science, tradition, and modern herbalistic practices, Grow It, Heal It touts the healing power of more than 50 herbs—from anise hyssop to yerba mansa. Two of the nation's premiere herbalists share growing, harvesting, and healing advice in this easy-to-use and friendly guidebook for herbal newbies, featuring teas, tinctures, salves, poultices, compresses, and aromatherapy. Among the many benefits of growing do-it-yourself remedies, readers will discover the convenience of preparing healing potions and salves when they're most needed; the advantage of having organic, fresh, and high-quality herbs they've nurtured themselves; and how empowering it is to engage in self-care and why that's important to the healing process. Growing herbs at home allows readers to take an active role in their own health care.