100 New Herbs

Family Oleaceae

Species: Jasminum sambac

Origin: Eurasia, probably tropical Asia

Plant: Perennial sprawling creeper

Height: Up to 4 m

Soil: Deeply dug, richly composted soil

Exposure: Full sun, can take light shade

Propagation: Cuttings

Uses: Culinary, medicinal, perfumery

This magnificent, tough, survivor jasmine has a long history in perfumery, as well as in medicine, and it is recorded on parchments as containing an oil more precious than gold. Legend tells of sambac flowers picked before dawn and stored in silver caskets to make the Emperor’s tea, and it is possible that jasmine sambac was planted in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and used to line royal burial places. The soft leaves as well as the flowers were used in embalming oils and to rejuvenate the skin.

Traditionally, the exquisite jasmine oil used in perfumery was made by a method known as ‘enfleurage’. Flowers were picked from 3 o’clock in the morning until sunrise, and were covered in almond or sunflower seed oil and left to macerate in the dark for 3–5 days. They were then drained and the process was repeated until the oil was saturated with the floral essence.

Dig a deep hole and fill with good, friable topsoil mixed with compost. Fill the hole with water, and settle the plant in gently, having torn its plastic bag away carefully. Cover with moist soil and press into the hole. Make a ‘dam’ around the hole and keep it filled with water until the plant establishes itself. Thereafter, water every second or third day.

Arabian jasmine can easily be trained up a fence and it makes a wonderful, densely shaded arch if it is pruned and clipped. Flowers are borne on new sprigs, so be sure to cut the spent flowers off to ensure new flowers throughout the year. It is resilient to heat, cold and wind, and asks for nothing except occasional pruning.

Cuttings are made from rooted pieces that come up wherever there is damage to the roots, such as when digging in compost. These pieces can be chopped off in the ground to detach them from the parent plant. Plant them in a bag filled with topsoil and compost. Keep them moist; they re-root quickly. Once they are sturdy and put out new leaves, the plants can be hardened off in the sun for an increasing time daily, until ready to be transplanted into their final position.

Pick flowers throughout the year and use fresh for their restorative properties. Dry the flowers by spreading them on brown paper in the shade. Once dry, use them in sachets and potpourris. Arabian jasmine is prolific; one or two plants will be enough to make food flavourings and bath treatments all year.

Use the flowers to flavour teas. Ceylon tea, green tea, rooibos tea, lemongrass tea, rose petal tea … whatever your taste, fresh and dried jasmine flowers will impart their fragrant flavour and enhance the tea. Use fresh flowers in juices, syrups, jellies and ice-creams, and sprinkle them on fruit salads and ice-cold glasses of home-made ginger beer.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour two cups of boiling water over six flowers and three leaves. Let the tea stand for five minutes, stir well and strain. Add a teaspoon of honey and a good squeeze of lemon juice. It is delicious hot or cold. Sip half a cup at intervals through the day to relieve itchy eyes or aching ears. Jasmine sambac tea also helps to lower high blood pressure, to relieve stress, and to ease stomach ulcers.

Make a separate batch of the tea (without the honey and lemon) and use as a lotion on cotton-wool; wipe over the closed eyes or over the external ear and discard. Also use the warm tea behind the ear on a cotton-wool pad. A clean facecloth wrung out in the brew and placed warm over the eyes or ear is comforting and healing, and works beautifully for children.

In the case of nursing mothers, the tea should be sipped three times a day to reduce milk flow when the breasts are painful. Leaves and flowers that have been warmed in hot water can also be tucked into the bra to ease engorged breasts. Jasmine flower and leaf poultices have long been used in women’s healing, especially by midwives in the early centuries. Jasmine flowers and leaves are also wonderful in the bath, added fresh or pre-soaked in boiling water. The jasmine-rich bathwater soothes the nursing mother, and soft cloths with jasmine flowers and soap tied inside, are a comforting treat.

Grow Arabian jasmine near your bedroom window for its fragrance, beauty, and calming effect, and feel like royalty!

Family Poaceae

Species: Coix lacryma-jobi

Origin: Southeast Asia

Plant: Perennial grass

Height: Up to 80 cm

Soil: Unfussy; thrives with deeply dug, well-composted soil

Exposure: Full sun, light shade

Propagation: Seeds, clump separation

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

I have grown Job’s tears for many decades (I don’t think anyone has single-handedly grown more Job’s tears than I have!) and shown communities how to cultivate this prolific plant profitably. The pretty silver beads, also known as pain beads, have been used for centuries by different tribes and countries for their painkilling properties. They can be threaded onto fishing line to make a teething necklace for babies, or they can be made into beautiful bracelets or necklaces to relieve joint pain and neck spasm. Traditionally the plant has been used both as a pain-reducing medication and as a treasured food.

Plant 80 cm apart in full sun or light shade in richly composted soil, with a ‘dam’ of soil around to hold the long, slow, twice-weekly watering. A second barrow or two of luscious compost added while the beads are ripening will ensure that many glumes (grassy sprays of female beads) are produced.

Dig out and divide existing clumps into little tufts in late winter and settle the tufts into moist compost-filled bags. Keep them warm and sheltered in the last cold days of July so that by mid-September green-leafed, vigorous bags of grass are ready for planting. Alternatively, sow the seeds in individual bags in spring; usually 3–4 per bag is best.

When summer beads drop into the soft, moist earth and new single plants come up, leave them to mature. Check and water them weekly. By autumn they can be carefully lifted and planted into bags to overwinter in the hothouse for late spring planting. Once you have a plant it spreads easily.

Fresh beads picked off the glumes can be gathered throughout the summer. I also harvest ripe beads for planting, and store them in glass bottles with screw-top lids. Cut off the glumes and grassy growth at the end of the winter and use the cut-off grass for the compost heap.

Crushed young beads are added to soups, stews, sauces, spreads and even hot and cold drinks. Ripe and immature seeds can be crushed, boiled or fermented and added to breads and desserts, or brewed into a pleasant but intoxicating beer. India has become known for ‘coix beer’, and Chinese tea, made with the crushed young seeds and served with finely mashed blackberries and honey, is a favourite drink.

At the Herbal Centre we boil crushed beads with our grape harvest in summer and create a delicious jelly and ice-cream, which is a delectable way to take in the pain-relieving constituents. In Malaysia, coix is ground to a flour and used in pan breads and pancakes, and coix flour is sold in Malaysian and Chinese markets.

A tea made from the crushed beads, glumes and male bracts is taken as a medicine for rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, painful stiffness, weakness of the spleen (it is an excellent spleen tonic), urinary tract ailments, lung abscesses, and severe coughing and build-up of phlegm. Coix tea also reduces inflammation, releases spasm, lowers fevers, relieves headaches and pain, clears bacterial and fungal infections, acts as a diuretic, and induces relaxation.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼–½ cup young crushed beads, stems and bracts. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, then cool the tea for five minutes, strain and sip slowly. A cup should be taken once or twice daily for the above conditions. It is delicious with a little ginger, lemon and honey.

Coix makes a wonderful muscle-relaxant bath that is also an excellent anti-inflammatory. Tie a cup of crushed glumes, seeds and finely chopped leaf into a muslin square and use as a sponge with soap over painful areas. I tie the bunch under the tap so the hot water pours through it. It makes a soothing ball that children love.

I also make a strong coix wash by boiling three cups of crushed coix glumes, leaves and seeds in two litres of water for 30 minutes, stirring frequently and adding more water when needed. Cool the mixture, strain and pour into the bath. This soothes small children if they are hot, overtired and itchy, or have a temperature and are fretful.

Coix beads are initially palest yellow and green; as they ripen they turn grey, and finally hard and pearly, with a soft hole in the middle for threading. Next time you see an attractive Job’s tear necklace or bracelet for sale, buy it to soothe a stiff, tight neck or an aching wrist. It is not just a pretty fashion statement.

Family Cupressaceae

Species: Juniperus communis

Origin: Northern temperate zones

Plant: Evergreen shrub or tree

Height: Procumbent up to 3 m in warmer climate

Soil: Rich, well-drained soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Cuttings

Uses: Medicinal (berries used to flavour alcoholic drinks)

Over the centuries, juniper has gradually been forgotten. It is a slow-growing, compact, evergreen herb, once fairly common as a garden shrub. Today research is reinstating it as a valuable immune system boosting medicine. There are several varieties of juniper, and all have the same medicinal properties. J. communis has remained the most commonly grown species in the genus and has been used extensively by many nations for cleansing and detoxifying and for its respiratory tract benefits. It is often burned on coals in ‘sweat boxes’ or saunas in cold northern lands to prevent and cure illness. Consider finding a place for this precious shrub in your garden and use it – it is exceptional!

Dig a deep hole in an area of full sun. Ensure that the soil is rich in organic compost and volcanic ash, and that there is sufficient surrounding space. Give a long, slow, watering once a week. Juniper is easy to grow, demanding virtually no attention, and survives frost, wind, heat and hailstorms amazingly well. In ideal growing conditions, with snow and icy winds, a juniper shrub can reach 4–5 m in height. Long, cold winters are needed for berry production (reportedly eight months of cold per year). Give a generous cup of rock dust (volcanic ash) mixed with a bucket of rich organic compost 2–3 times a year and water in thoroughly.

In spring, cut pieces of new growth at least 14 cm long. Strip off the ‘needles’ or leaves, leaving a thumb-length tuft of needles at the top. Press into wet, compost-filled trays or pots. Cover with a plastic ‘hothouse’ over a frame to keep them warm and protected. As the days warm up, remove the hothouse. Check frequently and transplant into bigger pots once they look sturdy. Juniper will take a year to grow into a little shrub, when you can plant it out.

I use the needles, twigs, wood and bark from the pruned stems to make remedies. Pick fresh thumb-length sprigs for use through the year in teas and liquid extracts. If you are lucky enough to find berries (the berries are actually the female seed cones), they can be harvested when ripe. They ripen over a period of three years on the shrub.

Juniper repels insects and therefore protects plants growing near it. I have noticed no insect invasion in its vicinity, and consider it to be a strengthening herb for delicate plants.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup needles and sprigs, or even wood shavings, if there are no berries. Let the tea stand for five minutes; stir frequently and press the herb down well (if using wood shavings, steep for 10 minutes), then strain and sip slowly. Take a cup morning and afternoon for 3–5 days. Juniper’s action is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-catarrhal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant.

Juniper has strong recorded benefits for rheumatic aches and pains and as a diuretic. Today’s research also shows that it is helpful for emotional problems like depression and anxiety, as well as for chronic coughs, colds, convulsions, hepatitis, stomach and mouth ulcers, bleeding gums, cystitis, vaginal infections, eczema and skin infections. It is a primary and particularly valuable chest infection treatment, such as during the first stages of tuberculosis.

Juniper contains a valuable and fairly rare ingredient known as ‘totarol’, which is a superb anti-microbial, making juniper one of the promising new natural antibiotics. It is active in tiny doses and shows potent anti-tumour and anti-oxidant properties that help to lower high cholesterol, protect the liver, and reduce hepatic infections and severe acne. Totarol works so efficiently against tough microorganisms like staphylococci, streptococci and enterocci, that it is earning a place in current medications.

Juniper essential oil can be diluted in soaps and lotions to treat infective acne, particularly in teenagers, and it is becoming a protective and healing ingredient in facial, neck, chest and back treatments. Today it is also being added to cleansing and night creams prescribed by dermatologists. Our Herbal Centre juniper creams and lotions have become increasingly popular for psoriasis, eczema and oily complexion.

Juniper face cream

Juniper oil can be made by simmering equal quantities of dried berries and sprigs in almond oil in a double boiler. Simmer the herb for an hour, stirring frequently, then cool overnight and strain.

Family Asteraceae

Species: Bellis perennis

Origin: Eurasia

Plant: Perennial, treated as a biennial

Height: Basal rosette 10 cm

Soil: Any soil

Exposure: Full sun, light shade

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

The common daisy is considered a lawn weed in Britain and most of Europe, yet it has a long history as a healing herb and it was one of the first herbs recorded in the British pharmacopoeias. John Gerard, the English herbalist, wrote in The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes 1597 that ‘the daisies do mitigate all kinde of paines, but especially in the joints and in gout, if they be stamped with new butter unsalted, and applied upon the pained place’. Today these little daisies are being tested for use in the treatment of pain, HIV and cancer.

In addition to the common field and lawn daisy, there are new hybrids with pale pink flowers, bigger white flowers and even a deep pink variety. These have the same properties as their smaller wild cousins.

Plant out in full sun, in deeply dug, well-composted moist soil, spaced 30 cm apart. Do not let the new little seedlings dry out in their first week or two. Water lightly into the roots three times a week in hot weather; do not spray onto the plant.

I give the plants a sprinkling of rock dust every month or six weeks; each plant needs a couple of teaspoons and I dig this in gently with a small fork before watering it in. This enables the plant to bloom abundantly. Pick the flowers often, as the more you pick, the more they grow!

The lawn daisy is undemanding and generously offers its flowers throughout winter and spring as a lovely border plant. A pretty, double-flowered, pink-and-white variety is available as a winter annual, and most nurseries offer seeds and seedlings for sale.

Trays of young pink-and-white Bellis perennis seedlings are available at nurseries in May and June. If you plant seed, start them off in trays as a winter annual. Once big enough to handle, plant into pots filled with compost mixed with good topsoil. Water gently daily or every second day; once seedlings are strong and healthy, plant them out permanently.

Spring flowers are abundant. Pick and enjoy while they last. Lawn daisy does not enjoy the heat of Africa’s summers, so plant as an annual and dry the flowers, storing them in glass jars.

When I was in England I learned to make a delicious sweet-and-sour pickle with lawn daisy buds, using an old country-village recipe. The pickle can still be bought in marketplaces and remains a favourite served with cheese and home-baked bread at lunchtime. It is also delicious with roast potatoes, grilled mushrooms, and on cucumber sandwiches.

Young daisy leaves are tender and delicious in salads, soups and stir-fries, and daisy petals can be used in fruit salads, cakes and desserts. Stir-fry the open flowers and serve with salads or on pumpkin soups and potato salads – with a pinch of salt and ground coriander, the crisp little flowers are very enticing!

Lawn daisy pickle

Bellis eye drops were made by monks centuries ago and are still used today to treat sore, watery, inflamed eyes; thus the ancient recipe has stood the test of time.

TO MAKE THE LOTION: Simmer a cup of fresh lawn daisy flowers in a litre of water for 20 minutes. Cool, strain and use as an eyewash, and put drops in the eyes three times a day. Cotton-wool discs can be soaked in the lotion, wrung out, and held over the eyes to soothe.

I make a very comforting bellis cream for varicose veins, haemorrhoids, sore joints and aching ankles, ruptures, minor wounds and bruising, and am never without it. Lawn daisy flowers can also be tied in a muslin square or tucked into a bath glove with a handful of Epsom salts and used in the bath with soap over aching muscles.

Bonny bellis healing cream

Family Asteraceae

Species: Liatris spicata

Origin: North America

Plant: Perennial corm

Height: Up to 1 m

Soil: Richly composted, deeply dug, moist soil

Exposure: Light shade, full sun

Propagation: Seed, corm division in spring

Uses: Medicinal, insect repellent

Liatris has become a collector’s plant, valued for its role as a home remedy and a natural insect repellent. It is rewarding in a multiflowered border and produces showy, elongated purple or white spikes in midsummer that are attractive to birds and butterflies. Buds open down the length of the flowering stems, and the leaves are used to make medicinal preparations, especially for the kidneys and skin.

Bulb specialists offer corms for sale in spring for summer flowering. Plant the corms in rows or clusters spaced 40 cm apart in deeply dug, richly composted, moist soil. Spread a layer of raked leaves over the soil as a mulch to keep the ground moist and cool, and water every second day as this is essentially a moisture-loving plant. Partial or light shade seems to suit it best in our bright dry climate. Once the new corms are established, apply a good dressing of compost, lightly dug in around them. A single spire will emerge from each corm; use stakes to keep the spire upright in windy areas. Cut off the flowering head once it has flowered. Save the stems for the compost.

Propagation by corm division and even by seed has proved satisfactory. Corms can be planted where they are to grow 15 cm apart, and seed can be sown in trays; once the little plants are big enough to handle, plant them out into bags with well-composed, rich soil and good drainage. Use one plant per bag. Keep them protected in light shade until the following spring; water daily and do not let the developing corms dry out.

Pick liatris as a cut flower in late summer, once the flowering spires mature to the top tuft, and the little buds are opening well. The spiky leaves can be harvested fresh throughout the summer as needed to make into teas. Dry the leaves on trays in the shade for winter use. Turn them daily until dry and then store in large glass jars with good lids. In America, both the leaves and roots are used in insect-repelling sprays, often combined with other pungent herbs.

Liatris is a bitter aromatic herb with exceptional anti-bacterial, tonic and diuretic effects. It remains an ancient treatment for kidney disease and gonorrhoea, and the corms are used to make a strong brew for skin itches, rashes, infected bites and hot swellings. The Native Americans taught the settlers about its skin-soothing effects, and thus it came to be recorded in the old pharmacopoeias.

Today liatris has been scientifically proven as a treatment for kidney ailments. It is combined with fennel leaf and flowers to make a diuretic tea that acts as a tonic, relieves fluid retention, and flushes the kidneys. Always use it with your doctor’s consent.

Liatris and fennel kidney tea

Liatris skin lotion

At the Herbal Centre we combine dried liatris leaves and flowers with marigolds and khakibos as a sprinkle mixed with talc powder to keep valuable documents insect-free. We also make a spray for aphids, whitefly, spider mite, red spider, and to an extent, mildewed leaves. In the case of persistent insect attack, use the spray for three consecutive days.

Liatris insect-repellent spray

I have learned that the bitterness of a herb often indicates its medicinal potency. Herbs like liatris and asthma tree (p. 40) are very bitter and extremely valuable!

Family Altingiaceae

Species: Liquidambar styraciflua

Origin: North America, Eurasia

Plant: Deciduous tree

Height: Up to 10 m in cultivation

Soil: Deeply dug, richly composted soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Cuttings, seeds

Uses: Medicinal

Liquidambars are popular garden trees and have been planted as street trees in many South African cities. They are at their most beautiful when their star-shaped leaves turn red and amber in autumn. They are often known as ‘sweet gum’, or ‘American storax’.

Many people have used Friar’s balsam, which helps to open a tight chest and relieve blocked lungs, throat and nose. A few drops are burned in a small oil burner in the patient’s room. Friar’s balsam, one of the world’s most loved remedies, is made from extracts of liquidambar and other plants. It was apparently first made by monks 600 years ago.

A favourite home remedy was to boil liquidambar bark shavings, fresh twigs and leaves in water as a steam to open the chest. My grandmother treated us in this way when we had coughs and colds; she also strained the steamy liquid and used it as a wound wash and an addition to the bath. Sadly, these old-fashioned remedies are seldom used today.

I have often thought that liquidambar oil could become as popular as tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) if the tree were not such a slow grower!

The young tree needs a really deep hole with a pipe set in at an angle so that a hose can be pushed in and water can reach the roots. Give it a long, slow watering weekly and make a wide ‘dam’ around the tree to hold the water. Dress with a barrow-load of compost in late winter and midsummer. The tree requires no pruning as it tends to be perfectly shaped. In autumn and winter, spiny seeds drop from the trees. It is equally beautiful in its pale bare winter branches. Nesting birds love it and its presence in the garden is a blessing.

Take cuttings 12–15 cm in length from branch tips in early spring. Strip any leaves off and press into moist soil with a little compost added to it. Make sure three nodes are under the soil. Keep moist and protected, and as the new buds form, move it out into a little sunlight each day, covering it well at night. Once strong enough, transplant carefully into a large pot with compost mixed with topsoil and keep moist. Allow to stand in partial shade to strengthen. It will need two years to mature before it is strong enough to plant out.

Reap the leaves through the summer and autumn and carefully take small slivers of fresh bark for teas and washes. Snip and chop twigs for teas. Amber-coloured autumn leaves can be pressed in an old telephone book.

Interestingly, sage and celery grown around the ‘dam’ that circles the tree do exceptionally well in the partial shade. The monks often planted liquidambar in the vicinity of ginkgo (Gingko biloba) as the trees benefit each other and encourage mutual growth.

For many centuries the young green fruits have been harvested to treat liver problems and to protect the liver from toxic damage. A substance contained within the fruit, known as betulinic acid, can help clear the liver of extreme toxicity such as carbon tetrachloride poisoning (the dangerous chemical used by dry cleaners).

TO MAKE THE CLEANSING TEA: Simmer two leaves and two crushed, fresh fruits in 1½ cups of water for 10 minutes. Stand for five minutes. Strain and sip slowly; use with your doctor’s advice.

TO MAKE THE TEA FOR COUGHS AND COLDS: Simmer four fresh leaves and four small pieces of bark (the length of your little finger) in a litre of water for 10 minutes, then cool to comfortable warmth, strain and sip a cup slowly with a little honey. Warm up another cup later in the day.

The cooled tea can also be used as a wash over rashes, grazes, light burns, sunburn and scratches. Add the tea to the bath to relieve sunburn, heat rashes, anxiety and tension. Used as a rinse after shampooing, it will help to clear itchy scalp, scalp rashes and dry, flaky skin.

Liquidambar makes a wonderful oil that has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-microbial and expectorant action. The oil can be added to good aqueous cream to make a relaxing and skin-softening massage cream for aching muscles, cramps and intense fatigue; it is especially good for sport strains and for massaging into the feet. The oil can also be used in cosmetics, bath products, soaps, shampoos and in creams to soften dry skin.

Liquidambar oil

Family Leguminosae

Species: Glycyrrhiza glabra

Origin: Tropical Asia, the Mediterranean area

Plant: Perennial herb

Height: Up to 1 m

Soil: Rich, deep, sandy soil

Exposure: Sun and light shade

Propagation: Rooted stolons

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Liquorice is a strange, almost forgotten plant that was recorded in ancient Assyrian texts and in botanical drawings and manuscripts from classical times. It is one of the oldest of the plant medicines, and perhaps the most extraordinary of the thousands of plants I have worked with.

The herb has been used as both food and medicine for around 3 000 years. The Greeks, Romans and Egyptians cured plagues, respiratory, kidney and heart ailments with it, and used it as a tonic for fatigue and debility. It was also used for asthma, arthritis, gout, inflammatory conditions and constipation; it is still being used today.

In England, Dominican friars popularised liquorice through their ‘pontefract cakes’ and ‘pomfrets’ (liquorice pastilles for coughs, sore throats and bronchitis).

The soil needs to be rich and deep, and if possible sandy, loose and in full sun, although shoots also thrive in light shade. It needs a long, slow, twice-weekly watering through the growing season, less often in winter. Liquorice does not grow where you want it to, so allow it to root freely wherever it finds a hospitable spot. The root or stolon spreads, sending up a woody stem of soft, pale green, compound leaves and small sprays of tiny flowers. It is difficult to eradicate once established, and it is an erratic and slow grower. Occasionally it will grow into a tall clump, but it finds the heat of the African sun too daunting to become a luscious grower.

Propagation is from pieces of root. If pressed into a richly composted, deeply dug area, the roots grow easily, sending up leaf tufts in a wide area.

The part used most often is the root, but for a milder treatment the leaves are picked and used fresh. Fresh, soft, well-washed roots can be chewed as ‘liquorice sweets’ and stored for medicinal or culinary uses. Always use liquorice fresh for more rewarding results.

Liquorice thrives amid annuals like nasturtiums, Californian poppies and Flanders poppies, and in winter among pansies, cabbages and forget-me-nots.

The root has a richly sweet, appealing flavour, and liquorice extract and powder are used worldwide in confectionery. It is also used to flavour beer, tobacco and stout, which was once considered a tonic drink; and it is an ingredient and dark colourant in some soft drinks. To flavour your own drinks, desserts and syrups, boil two teaspoons of chopped root in two cups of water for 20 minutes, strain and add in small quantities as needed.

WARNING: Due to the complex components in liquorice root, it must be prescribed for medicinal use by a qualified homeopath or doctor as it should not be used in isolation, in large doses or long-term. There are side effects such as swelling, weak legs, dizziness, headache, hypertension and potassium depletion in the elderly, and as a strong oestrogenic herb it can cause breast growth in men. The herb must not be taken during pregnancy, or if taking diuretics, cardiac medications or corticosteroids. Always discuss with your doctor first.

The properties of liquorice are exceptional, and if it is taken with other herbs for only 10 days at a time under supervision, it offers many health benefits: it is a gentle short-term laxative, eases heavy coughing (anti-tussive), it has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer compounds, and it protects against the effects of radiation. It is also a strong anti-tumour medication, adrenal tonic, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-stressor, anti-spasmodic, analgesic, and anti-ulcerative. Further, it is an excellent expectorant, stimulates the immune system, protects the heart and cardiovascular system, and it has the exceptional ability to increase the action of other herbs and pharmaceuticals being utilised.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup of fresh liquorice leaves. Stir well and let it stand for five mintues. Strain it and sweeten with a touch of honey if liked, and sip slowly. Take one cup a day for no more than 7–10 days.

Liquorice has been tested extensively as an anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent, and has been found to enhance antibodies, to prevent many influenza strains, and to prevent viral and bacterial growth, as it deactivates the problem strains. Combined with other herbs, liquorice can be a beacon of hope in cases of candida, hepatitis (A, B or C), Epstein-Barr virus, salmonella and streptococcus strains, gum and mouth ulcers, fever blisters, and even TB. Use of liquorice leaves and flowers in an extract for the bath once a week is a helpful treatment for rashes, shingles, fevers and general debility.

Liquorice-extract bath for rashes and shingles

Family Apocynaceae

Species: Catharanthus roseus

Origin: Madagascar; now a pantropical weed

Plant: Perennial

Height: 30 cm

Soil: Any soil, unfussy

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seeds

Uses: Medicinal

The Madagascar periwinkle flourishes on waste ground, fallow fields and roadsides. A tenacious survivor plant, it has become naturalised in many parts of the world from its native island where it has been used for centuries as a diabetic herb, as an anti-cancer and anti-leukaemia herb, and to treat rheumatism.

Old pharmacopoeias show that it has been treasured for centuries; now with the help of medical science it is also being more fully understood. In the 1950s an American pharmaceutical company researched it and found it to be a positive treatment for cancer, particularly childhood leukaemia. Research into it's properties is ongoing.

Dig over a bed in full sun, add compost and set a sprinkler over it to soak the area. Plant the new little plants 80 cm apart and water in well. They will grow to 80 cm in height and look good all year round; they always have flowers. The Madagascar periwinkle thrives on neglect, and a twice-weekly watering will ensure a brilliant display of flowers.

Once you have a plant it reseeds itself everywhere. Pull up seedlings while still they are small and transplant them to their permanent positions.

A tough, evergreen perennial, plants can be pulled up whole whenever needed, at any time of the year. To make periwinkle salt, pull up a mature plant at least 1–4 years old, as all the remarkable alkaloids will have developed fully.

Several hybrids have been cultivated and are enjoyed for their brilliant colours; however, these hybrids do not have the remarkable alkaloids in the perfect balance required medicinally. The old-fashioned pink wayside weed remains the true medicinal plant and should not be confused with the new cultivars.

In the West Indies and Madagascar, the pink periwinkle has been used for centuries to treat diabetes, to increase perspiration and to stimulate the uterus. In Mauritius and Vietnam, it is a valuable herb for chronic constipation and ailments of the digestive tract. In the Bahamas, it is used to treat asthma, and in parts of Africa to treat menstrual problems and to lower blood sugar levels. In all cases it is taken in carefully monitored doses of bitter tea, only with a doctor’s guidance.

Extensive research on the Madagascar periwinkle has found that isolated alkaloids treat various cancers, especially leukaemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The two most valuable alkaloids are vinblastine and vincristine (there are around 95 alkaloids present). However, never be tempted to self-medicate. For all its beauty, the Madagascar periwinkle is dangerous to use without a doctor’s guidance.

Periwinkle salt is a fascinating old remedy used in the bath to clear toxins from the body after over-indulging in food, alcohol or smoking. It is also a detoxifier after long air travel over time zones, and helps to clear computer and cellphone radiation from the body.

Detoxifying periwinkle bath salt

Pink periwinkle forms an excellent base for the compost heap. We pull up 3–4 old plants when they get stringy-looking and use them in new compost heaps. Clear an area and spread the pulled-up periwinkles in a thick layer. Cover with garden clippings, raked leaves and weeds. Next add a thin layer of lawnmower cuttings, followed by a light layer of manure. Cover again with raked leaves, clippings and even vegetable peels from the kitchen, and top with grass cuttings. We add khakibos and veld grass to top the heap and keep all the heat in, and set a sprinkler on top to moisten everything thoroughly. Compost heaps with a base of pink periwinkle plants are the most active.

Family Liliaceae

Species: Lilium candidum

Origin: Temperate northern hemisphere

Plant: Perennial summer-flowering bulb

Height: 1 m flowering stem

Soil: Richly composted, well-dug soil

Exposure: Semi-shade to full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal, perfumery

The Liliaceae genus includes about 100 species of perennial bulbous plants, all with flowers, some exquisitely perfumed and showy. However, only Lilium candidum has medicinal uses, written about for centuries in the pharmacopoeias of the countries where they are indigenous. Cultivation of this beautiful genus is breathtaking and unpredictable as crops are only prolific if everything is right – temperature, weather, soil, exposure and watering.

The white flowers of L. candidum are a symbol of purity and are sometimes called ‘Virgin Mary lilies’, although they predate Christianity as the lily was the sacred flower of Juno, consort of Jupiter and Queen of Heaven. During Lent and Easter, great bouquets of Madonna lilies were brought into places of worship for their purity.

In winter, choose a light, shady area, loosen the soil thoroughly, and dig in rich compost. Space the bulbs 30–50 cm apart so that there is space for the tall flowering heads, as they can have 6–9 flowers and buds at the same time. Watering is important for this summer-flowering beauty, but do not water so much that the bulbs rot. Water gently as the emerging bulb is very succulent and tender. As it matures and the heat increases, more watering will be needed, but be careful and check daily. The lily is fragile and a little fussy! Stakes may be needed as the flowering spire becomes heavy when in flower and in bud, but be sure not to press the stake into the actual bulb, as that will kill it.

Allow some flowers to go to seed, as this is your means of propagating. The seed needs to be completely dry. Sow it in winter in a sheltered place in trays of mixed topsoil and compost. Make a mini hothouse over the plant using a plastic bag over sticks. Check daily that the watering is good and that the flat seeds remain covered and undisturbed by the watering sprays. Prick out the seedlings when they are sturdy (be patient as the little plants mature quite slowly), plant into individual pots, filled with compost and soil, and keep these watered and protected. The pots often need to be kept until the following spring as the corm or bulb must form before the lily is planted out in its final place in the garden.

Pick the flowers as they open fully on tall stems – one stem per bulb. The buds mature at different times, so there will be a long procession of flowers. Make lotions and creams with the flowers when they have matured to perfection and opened up fully.

The cooked bulb is rich in starch, pulpy and sweet, and is eaten as a vegetable in the East. In the early centuries, the Chinese used the flowers in fruit desserts, jellies and jams.

Madonna lily flowers have been used for many centuries to make ointments, creams and lotions. The petals are soft, mucilaginous and astringent; this perfect formula helps to soothe, heal and clear infection. The soft petals are used externally on burns, applied to the area and held in place with a crepe bandage. Flower lotion is used to wash rashes, grazes and infected scratches, and the cream is still used to treat sprains, bruises and arthritic and rheumatic joints.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the monks made lily cream and it became a traditional medication for burns, abscesses, chapped skin, chilblains and skin ulcers, as well as being used as a cream for hair loss. The flowers are picked as they open and used fresh, heated into the cream (or into almond oil, should it be preferred).

Madonna lily lotion

Madonna lily cream

Family Berberidaceae

Species: Mahonia aquifolium

Origin: North America

Plant: Evergreen shrub

Height: Up to 1.5 m

Soil: Well-drained, compost-rich soil

Exposure: Takes full sun, also partial shade

Propagation: Rooted tufts

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Known as ‘yerba de la sangre’ or ‘herb of the blood’ (it is a liver tonic), mahonia is a very ancient medicinal herb, vital and reliable. A century ago, most gardens had mahonia hedges or shrubs. Some people used the berries or ‘grapes’ in wine, and mahonia jams and jellies were often sold at markets. There are several mahonia species in this dicotyledonous family, like the spectacular M. lomariifolia from China, used in the same way as M. aquifolium.

The roots of the plant hold all the best medicines. To a lesser extent, the flowers and leaves are healing, while the berry juice has excellent decongestant properties. My grandmother made us mahonia tea from the yellow flowers as a liver tonic, for dry rashes and even for diarrhoea.

Mahonia is a forgotten herb, and needs to be reconsidered for its excellence in treating eczema, skin problems and gallbladder complaints. I use it in skin creams and have found it to be wonderfully soothing.

This plant thrives in all weathers, taking cold, frost, harsh winds and heat equally well. It loves deeply dug, richly composted soil and spreads easily. Plant out in a deep, compost-filled bed in full sun and water daily until it starts to thrive. Thereafter, water the plants on alternate days, and finally 2 to 3 times weekly. Mahonia needs a good dressing of compost twice yearly to encourage its bright flowering. A mahonia ‘hedge’ is a wonderful way of marking a low boundary; the plants will need to be spaced 1 m apart and planted in a furrow so that a hose can be started at one end for a slow steady watering. Mahonia also does well in partial shade.

In late spring, before the summer heat, prune off a few sprigs that are showing new leaf growth; about 12 cm in length. Strip the lower stem clean and press into bags filled with moist sand and compost. Once the new little plants are well established, move them out into the sun daily, increasing the time until they are sturdy enough to plant out permanently.

Flowers can be picked during spring and summer and made into teas, or dried for use in mixed herbs. Interestingly, dried mahonia teas are still part of the popular ‘tea trade’ in America, and can be found in country markets as a liver tonic. The berries are used fresh, as they ripen. Runners and small tufts or suckers around the mother plant can be harvested and planted in bags through the growing season, thus increasing stock.

Mahonia berries are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, anti-oxidants and beta carotene. Add them to fruit pies, juices, jams and jellies, pressing out their rich juice and straining out the skins and seeds. Add the pretty yellow flowers to a fruit salad of mango slices, peach slices and watermelon balls, and taste a bit of paradise.

Health-boosting berry smoothie

A lotion can be made from the roots and leaves (and flowers in spring) and is comforting when sprayed over hot rashes, itchy eczema, grazes and sunburn. Taken internally, mahonia root tea decongests the body and eliminates toxins from the liver. Sip half a cup in the morning and evening for chronic liver problems. The tea is also excellent for gallbladder discomfort and pain (be sure to check with your doctor). It also eases diarrhoea, and it decongests and clears phlegm, mucus, blocked sinus, and throaty coughs. When there is mucus in the chest, tight breathing and a thick, productive cough, take mahonia tea with tissue salts No. 5 (Kali Mur), No. 7 (Kali Sulph) and No. 2 (Calc Phos). Take two tablets of each tissue salt, dissolved separately in the mouth, with half a cup of mahonia tea – it will work wonders! Phlegm anywhere in the body retards our healing process.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh mahonia leaves (and a few flowers in spring). Stir well and let it stand for five minutes. Strain, sweeten with a little honey if liked, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and sip slowly.

Mahonia lotion

Family Gramineae

Species: Zea mays

Origin: South America, Central America, Andes

Plant: Annual crop

Height: Up to 3 m

Soil: Deeply dug, richly composted soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Staple food, medicine

Maize was a staple food in Central and South America for well over 5 000 years, and its Latin name ‘Zea‘ (‘the cause of life’) and ‘mays‘ (‘our mother’) is expressive. No other food plant has ever reached its status, but today few of us are aware of its valuable medicinal properties. The ancient Aztecs, Mayans, Incans and Chickasaw Indians recorded its healing uses, but these have been disregarded over time. To make matters worse, maize is now so genetically engineered or ‘modified’ that we are in danger of losing one of the most valuable healing foods and medicines ever known.

As soon as the soil warms up in spring, plant mealie seeds in full sun, in deeply dug, well-composted moist soil. Space them 40 cm apart in a long, straight furrow and flood with water twice a week. It is timelessly satisfying to press the big seeds into the soil step by step, and even more satisfying to see the straight green spears emerge within a few days. My father called this ‘joyful growing’ as it is lush, prolific, and vital. At the Herbal Centre we grow Indian corn in its multicoloured beauty for popcorn, and even the tiny ‘strawberry corn’ has become popular.

All parts of this exceptional plant can be used. Green mealies remain a loved vegetable in many countries. Pick just as the ‘beard’ (the top little tuft of silk) starts to dry, and cook immediately. Once reaped and eaten, both the cob and the outer casing make excellent compost, and the tall stems and coarse leaves made a good aerating base for the heap. Cobs are also milled to make mealiemeal. The silk can be dried and stored in large, glass screw-top jars for medicinal use.

If you have organic seed, do not forget to allow some mealies to ripen and dry completely. In this way you will harvest your own seed for the next season. Store the dry seeds in khakibos to repel insects. Our marigold crop (see p. 13) is also used for this purpose, and no weevils dare come near the pungent package.

Maize is a staple food, especially in Latin America and Africa. Corn cobs are eaten whole, or made into cornmeal (mealiemeal) and eaten as breakfast porridge, known as ‘pap’ in South Africa. Maize ‘flour’ is used to make bread, pancakes, cakes, muffins and scones for those who are wheat intolerant. It is also processed into cereals such as corn flakes, and is used in nearly all Mexican dishes, including the well-known tortillas and enchiladas. Corn oil is extracted from the ripe ears. Ripe, dry seeds of certain maize species are used to make popcorn, and corn can be fermented to make beer. In some countries, food is wrapped in the green husks before cooking.

Many maize folk remedies are still used today. In Mayan and Incan medicine it was recorded as a treatment for urinary conditions and to help cool the body and clear ‘heat from the heart’. Later it was recorded in China as an external dressing for leg ulcers and slow-healing wounds, made into a healing gel that was extracted from the ‘corn bean’ (mealie seed).

Probably one of the most valuable of all maize medications is made from the ‘silk’. Known as ‘Yu mi shu’ in China, corn silk is used to treat urine retention and urinary-tract ailments. It is also used to treat arthritis and rheumatism. Maize silk tea has a high potassium level, which lowers blood sugar levels and helps to prevent the formation of urinary stones.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup organically grown green maize silk. Leave the tea to stand for five minutes, then stir thoroughly, strain, and sip slowly. Three cups a day are needed for prostate enlargement, weak, thin urine flow, urinary stones, prostatitis, cystitis and even enuresis in children. Medical science has found corn silk extract to be suitable for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The tea is also beneficial to the walls of the urethra and kidney function, and helps with weight loss and as a remedy for jaundice. Skin rashes are soothed by drinking the tea and it can also be used externally as a lotion.

South Africa is the only country in the world where the staple food (in our case, maize) is a GM crop. Maize products sold in supermarkets are genetically modified. Look out for organically grown maize, or, better, grow your own from organic seed.

Family Malvaceae

Species: Malva sylvestris

Origin: Eurasia

Plant: Bushy biennial or self-seeding annual

Height: Up to 80 cm

Soil: Any soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

In the Middle Ages, mallow was known in Europe as ‘omnimorbia’, meaning a plant that is a panacea or cure-all. It was taken for the plague and to help heal infected wounds, ‘purulent swellings’ and maladies. In winter, monks brewed mallow together with other respiratory herbs to treat bronchitis and flu. This potion acted like an antibiotic, easing phlegm and tightness in the chest, soothing the throat and relieving a persistent cough.

Recorded in many ancient pharmacopoeias, mallow needs to be reintroduced as a herb of great potential for modern-day illnesses. I grew the first mallows in southern Africa for an Ayurvedic doctor who used the leaves and flowers for poultices over infected wounds and as a wash for septic infections, light burns and infected acne. Today it is an essential ingredient in my medicinal creams and poultices, and I value its benefits in healing teas and salads.

Plant out in full sun, 1 m apart, in well-dug, lightly composted soil, spaced 50 cm apart or even 1 m apart in good soil. Water the plant slowly and deeply 2–3 times a week in the heat. If it is planted too close to its neighbour, it can show signs of heat intolerance and mildew, so cut back overlapping branches if necessary. I treat mallow as a biennial or short-lived perennial. It is easy to grow and fuss-free, and generously drops its seeds.

Start the seeds in seed trays and keep them protected, shaded and moist. Prick out the seedlings when big enough to handle and plant them in moist, compost-filled bags. Move the bags into the sun for longer periods each day, always careful not to let them dry out. Mallow also seeds itself, and small plants can be dug out carefully and replanted easily.

All through the summer, pick the flowers, young leaves and succulent green seeds, known as ‘fairy pumpkins’ for salads, teas and mallow lotion. Allow some seeds to mature and dry; the mallow will readily self-seed.

Mallow has had many culinary uses. At one time, sugared pink mallow flowers were a favourite cake, dessert and fruit salad decoration. They were dipped into softly beaten egg white while fully open, then dusted with castor sugar and dried in a very low oven. They still look and taste spectacular on an iced pale pink cupcake today. Eat the fresh petals in salads, serve them in summer drinks, and include them dried in sprinkles with other edible flowers and seeds such as coriander, cumin and fenugreek.

Mallow remains an extremely valuable treatment as an expectorant tea for coughs, colds, flu, bronchitis, laryngitis, asthma, emphysema, catarrh and throat infections, and it helps to reduce general inflammation and infection. Always remember that mallow tea will act as a gentle laxative due to its mucilage content, so be careful of large doses.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh leaves and flowers; leave the tea to stand for five minutes, stirring it frequently, then strain and sip it slowly. It can be taken up to three times a day in acute conditions and once or twice daily for chronic conditions. As with all home treatments, consult your doctor beforehand.

Mallow is beneficial as an astringent for gastric problems, gastroenteritis, bladder and urethra irritations and cystitis due to its high mucilage content. Because the mucilage in the leaves and flowers is demulcent, the ‘coating’ left in the mouth and throat after drinking mallow tea will soothe the mucous membranes, easing a dry cough and a painful throat. Use the cooled tea as a gargle. I remember as a child how my Scottish grandmother brought mallow seeds from Scotland, and we were always grateful for mallow’s comforting action!

Mallow lotion is wonderfully soothing for dry eczema and psoriasis, insect bites, boils and infected grazes. After making the lotion, use the boiled flowers and leaves as a poultice over abscesses and boils; apply the plant as hot as is comfortable, cover with a warm towel and repeat frequently. Soothing mallow cream can also be made easily and will do wonders for infected sores, mosquito bites, boils and abscesses. The key word for mallow is ‘soothing’, and for that alone it is so worthwhile!

Mallow lotion

Mallow cream

Family Anacardiaceae

Species: Pistacia lentiscus

Origin: Greece and the Mediterranean area

Plant: Evergreen, small tree or shrub

Height: 1.5–6 m

Soil: Well-composted, friable soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Cuttings, seeds

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Mastic trees have been grown across Greece and the Mediterranean area for centuries and are famous for their sweet resin, chewed to protect the teeth and gums, as it has a strong anti-microbial action. The resin is used in confectionery and in herbal medicine.

Today, the Greek Island of Chios is the main producer, and resin there is known as ‘tears of Chios’, as it forms ‘tears’ or droplets. The tree is of economic importance to Greece, with the gum and exquisite aromatic oil exported worldwide. The essential oil is used in several well-known fragrances, and the resin is used in the Greek liqueur ‘masticha’, which is a liqueur of blessing and thanksgiving. All parts of the tree are valuable, and the dark green leathery leaves are richly scented and make an excellent insect repellent.

In Greece, mastic trees are planted 3–4 m apart in full sun. They make an excellent hedge when spaced 2 m apart. Dig a metre-long piece of plastic pipe at an angle into the hole for a hose to be inserted for root watering. Make a good dam around the tree so that a hose can be left to run slowly into the dam for a thorough soaking every week. In the winter, water once a week.

The tree is described as half-hardy, so in very cold areas it needs winter protection. It is easy and attractive at all times of the year, and a tough survivor. It prunes into a good shape, and is suitable for small gardens as it can be kept trimmed. The dark reddish-brown berries follow the small flowers from midsummer onwards.

The seed is beautifully viable and germinates well. Sow seeds in compost-rich soil in separate bags. Cuttings should be taken from branches in summer and overwintered in a protected position; by spring the cuttings can be planted out into large compost-filled bags (half compost, half topsoil). Keep the cuttings moist and they will grow fairly quickly.

To harvest the gum, make an incision into the bark of the trunk (not into the wood) using a sharp knife. Mastic will ooze out slowly; attach a small bowl against the cut to catch every drop.

The amazing gum is used in Greece, Italy and France to flavour cakes, desserts, sweet sauces and confectionery. It has a liquorice-like flavour. I have tasted delicious custard slices in Greece made with mastic resin and have enjoyed fruit drinks made with mastic, honey, and crushed ice. The chewing gum made from mastic clears gum problems.

Oil from the seeds, known as ‘shina oil’, gives a rich flavour to many dishes. Use it as cooking oil to fry fish, mushrooms or stir-fry, or use it as a salad oil over beetroot, artichokes or avocado and lettuce. It is rare and special!

Mastic oil

The mastic tree has strong anti-bacterial, antiseptic and anti-spasmodic actions, and successfully fights parasitic invasions and streptococcal infections. It is taken internally as a tea for urinary infections, gallstones, respiratory infections such as bronchitis, chronic chest infections, and to clear phlegm.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh mastic leaves, resin, and twigs cut into small pieces. Let the tea stand for five minutes, stir it well, then strain. Sip slowly, sweetened with a touch of honey and lemon juice. One cup a day is the usual dosage.

Use a massage cream made from the resin and twigs to treat sciatica, boils, ulcers, arthritis, aching muscles and stiff neck and shoulders. It is soothing and comforting.

Mastic massage cream

Family Malvaceae

Species: Corchorus olitorius

Origin: India, Egypt

Plant: Small bushy ‘tree’

Height: 1–2.5 m

Soil: Deeply dug, richly composted soil

Exposure: Sun and light shade

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Melokhia is one of the fastest-growing and easiest plants I know, and its prolific seeds are so viable that I cannot imagine why the whole of Africa is not growing it. It is an ancient survivor plant, woven with myth, history, and wonderful stories.

Melokhia was first grown as jute, and its supple stems and branches were pounded and crushed to release strong fibrous filaments used to make ropes, harnesses and bags. Today the fibrous stems are being utilised again as a substitute or to augment the use of hemp in fabric weaving, flooring and furniture making.

Melokhia’s tender leaves became a favoured food in the Middle East, southern Asia and North Africa, where they were used as a leafy mucilaginous vegetable or potherb. Long stretches of melokhia still grow along the fertile banks of the Nile, as melokhia is Egypt’s national food.

Plant in richly composted holes in full sun spaced 2 m apart. Build a ‘dam’ around each tree and flood with water twice weekly. The tree lasts 3–5 years and self-seeds, so new little trees can be relocated easily once they are sturdy. Melokhia is an easy, reliable and rewarding crop.

Sow seed in trays of compost-rich soil (sew thinly as the germination rate is high). Sprinkle with a light covering of sieved soil and stand the tray in a bigger tray of shallow water in a shaded, protected area. The seed can be sown from spring to midsummer. Top up the water when needed, but be careful the seed does not drown in too much moisture.

When the seedlings are big enough to handle, prick them out and plant in bags filled with moist compost and topsoil. Keep shaded and protected until the little plant becomes sturdy. Then move the bags into the sun, increasing the time by an hour each day. Do not let the plants dry out. When they have been in the sun all day for two weeks, plant out in their permanent positions.

Pick leaves throughout the year; melokhia is used fresh, cooked like spinach, and rarely dried. However, as an ingredient in seasoning salt the leaves can be dried on trays in the shade and stored in airtight glass bottles. Collect the seed pods as they ripen and begin to dry and turn brown. Check frequently as the pods burst open suddenly, scattering the precious seeds. Store the seeds in glass bottles with good lids.

Companion plants are tomatoes, bush beans, strawberries, pennyroyal and fenugreek. All thrive under melokhia trees.

Tender melokhia leaves are eaten fresh in salads and soups, or lightly steamed and served with chicken and fish, sprinkled with lemon juice and salt. The seed makes a delicious sprout, too.

In India, the leaves are steamed with pickling onions and lemon juice, and served with butter, black pepper and ground seasalt as a traditional banqueting dish. In Egypt the herb is added to soups made with finely chopped beef, coriander and rice; this is their traditional dish, known as ‘melokhyia’. In Malawi it is used to make a relish with chillies and pineapple, served with curry, and sold at a good price on the market. The fresh leaves are also eaten with breakfast porridge, served with sour milk honey, in Israel; and in parts of Turkey fresh leaves are cooked in a stew, with fresh coriander.

Melokhia stew

Fresh melokhia flowers, leaves and young seed pods have been used as a medicine for centuries. They are high in vitamins A and C, the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, and even protein. Melokhia is named in ancient Hebrew and Greek, and in the book of Job, in the King James translation of the Hebrew bible, it is referred to as ‘Jew’s mallow’.

In China and India the leaves and a few green pods are made into a medicinal tea taken to build stamina, for endurance, and to rebuild the body after a fall or accident where sprains, bruises, strains and torn muscles and ligaments have occurred.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh leaves, stir thoroughly for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly. A little honey and lemon juice can be added. Take one cup daily.

The fresh leaves are also made into a warm poultice for sprains and torn muscles; steep the leaves in hot water and apply as hot as is comfortable, then cover with a bandage or towel and apply a hot-water bottle to the area, covered with a blanket. For broken bones, melokhia branches and stems can be heated in water and crushed to release the fibre, which is then washed and bound around the area and over the splints. Melokhia tea daily or twice daily assists the healing.

Family Poaceae

Species: Panicum miliaceum

Origin: Central Asia

Plant: Annual grass

Height: 75 cm

Soil: Any soil, can withstand poor soils

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

One of the first known food crops, millet has been cultivated in China for thousands of years. The Romans made it into porridge for their warriors as it was thought to give ‘strength and fortitude’. It was grown in Israel and Egypt too, where it survived harsh climates and inhospitable soils. The seed is rich in vitamins and minerals, and was considered by the ancients to be essential in maintaining health. Today it is especially valued as a gluten-free grain for those with gluten intolerance and digestive ailments. It is also more alkaline than any other grain.

Millet is one of those remarkable and easy plants that seem to handle heat, drought, winds and poor soil equally well. I have managed to grow it in very dry areas and it has no requirement other than watering. It is a fast-growing crop – within about 70 days of sowing you will see the ripening seed forming, and it is usually reaped within three months. Millet seed can be sown in trays for planting out in the field in a clump.

Propagation is by seed. Sow the seed where it is to grow in deeply dug, well-composted soil that is moist and friable. I use the end of a rake to make a small furrow along a tightly stretched string to keep the rows straight. Scatter a thin line of seeds in the moist furrow and lightly rake the soil over the seeds before sowing the next row. I leave 40 cm between each row so that overcrowding is not a problem as the millet matures.

The soil needs to be kept moist in these first critical days, so sprinkle a covering of raked leaves over the area to keep it cool and shaded and to foil the birds, as millet is much loved by them. I find that setting gentle sprays over the area is the best method of watering. Within a few days the first tiny seeds germinate and thin blades of grass appear. The germination rate is usually 95 per cent. Keep the raked leaves in place to save the little seedlings from the birds.

Allow the seed sprays to dry out and turn pale cream in colour. I tie them in bunches and hang them along a rafter. These attractive sprays become the seed for the next crop. To sprout millet for eating or juicing, pour a handful of seeds into a sprouter and soak in water. Rinse the seeds morning and night by running water through them; allow the water to drain away. The little sprouts will be ready in 3–4 days.

Millet has a slightly sweet, nutty flavour and is used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is gluten-free and therefore recommended for people who are gluten intolerant. The unhusked grain can be made into porridge by simmering one cup of millet in just over two cups of water, with a pinch of Himalayan salt. The porridge makes a very pleasant breakfast, served with fresh berries or chopped apple, peaches or banana, and with the addition of sunflower seeds, almonds and flax seed it becomes a high-octane start to the day. Try it with almond milk, too.

Millet flakes, millet flour and husked millet can be found in health shops. Add almond milk to the flour to make a soft batter and gently cook in a non-stick ceramic pan (avoid Teflon-coated pans). Experiment with adding ingredients like sunflower seeds and flax seeds to make pancakes and flatbreads. Millet can also be used to thicken soups and stews; it can be sprouted and added to salads and stir-fries; and it can be cooked like rice and served as an alternative to rice or potatoes.

Millet is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc and the B-vitamins, particularly niacin and thiamine. Nutritionists call it a ‘safe food’ as it is well tolerated by babies, children, the elderly and people who are gluten intolerant.

Digestive problems are eased by millet, and it is one of the preferred foods for those with stomach ulcers. Serve it with grated apple or mashed banana and a cup of melissa tea – the combination soothes immediately!

Today, millet is classed as one of the superfoods. Try juicing millet sprouts with carrots, beetroot, apples and wheatgrass to make an energising vitamin- and mineral-rich drink. It is excellent for convalescents, for people with difficult digestion, and for children who have ‘fear tummy aches’.

Millet sprout super drink

Family Asparagaceae (Convallariaceae)

Species: Ophiopogon japonicus

Origin: Eastern Asia, particularly China and Japan

Plant: Perennial groundcover tufts

Height: Up to 15 cm

Soil: Well-dug, well-composted soil

Exposure: Both full sun and light shade

Propagation: Mainly separation of the tufts or from seed

Uses: Medicinal

Mondo grass is characterised by its neatness, adaptability and attractiveness along walkways, as a border plant, between pavers, and even in green banks and vertical gardens. It is a survivor plant and it always looks fresh and sculptural. Several varieties are available and all are used in the same way medicinally. This plant has played an exceptional role in the building of wellness and has been part of traditional Chinese medicine since the first century AD. Like most of the other plants in these pages, there is nothing ‘new’ about mondo grass, as many of its uses are ancient. However, these and recently discovered uses are so needed in today’s fast-paced world that I urge gardeners to look at this Japanese turf with new eyes.

Prepare the ground with lots of good compost, bone meal and rock dust (volcanic ash), mixed together in the ratio 4:1:1. This formula ensures several years of excellent growth. Every 3–4 years, dig out the clumps, discard the soil in which they have been growing to a depth of 30 cm, and then dig again, adding the magical formula, a spade or two every half metre. Being a perennial evergreen, mondo grass obligingly takes quite a lot of moving around and never seems to show any stress.

Space the plants 10 cm apart, depending on how you want the finished area to look. Water slowly and gently, so water can reach the roots and swell the tubers. I let a hose trickle in 2–3 times a week, less in winter. It will take frost, winds, searing heat and even hailstorms. Sprays of pale mauve or white flowers appear in summer, deep within the leaves; these turn into blue-purple ‘berries’. Left to dry on the plant, the berries are filled with tiny seeds, which germinate well and grow true to form.

Propagate at any time of the year except the coldest months. Water well first, then dig out the clump and divide it by gently pulling out the small tufts and their fibrous roots and small thickened tubers. Replant in bags filled with soil mixed equally with compost. Keep moist and protected in the shade until established. Then move out into light shade for at least a week to strengthen before planting out permanently.

To harvest the roots, water well, then pull up the edges of the clump and use a small fork to gently lift the roots. Mondo grass is a hardy perennial and can be harvested at any time of the year.

The ancient Chinese pharmacopoeias record Ophiopogon japonicus as having precious substances that ‘restore and replenish the vital fluids in the body’, thus ensuring health, brain power, longevity and ‘agility and ability’, both physically and mentally. It was known as a ‘yin’ tonic. The vital essences from the grass were taken as a tea, drink or syrup made with honey to promote secretion of body fluids. The plant’s action was found to be replenishing and revitalising, and so it became one of the most valuable herbs known to humankind.

Medicinally, the parts used are the underground roots and tubers, known as ‘mai men dong’ in Chinese, together with the lower parts of the linear leaves. These are boiled to make a traditional tonic tea, called ‘The Emperor’s longevity tonic’. To get the full benefit, make the tea at least twice a week. The Emperors are recorded as taking ½–1 cup daily in times of anxiety and fatigue. Like all herbs, take it daily for a week or two and then break for a few days before resuming.

In the hands of the ‘barefoot doctors’, mondo grass became a folk remedy taken to ease dry coughs, constipation, stress with palpitations, fear, insomnia, and fevers. It was made into a syrup with honey to clear the bronchi, to ease the digestion and to control spasms and coughing bouts, especially in the elderly. After preparing the syrup, the discarded tubers were tied wet in muslin, a few drops of juniper or eucalyptus oil were added, and this was used as a rub over the chest to relieve a cough and ease the throat and chest.

Emperor’s longevity tonic

Family Asteraceae

Species: Guizotia abyssinica

Origin: Africa, Ethiopia

Plant: Annual

Height: Up to 1.5 m

Soil: Deeply dug, well-composted soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Niger, more commonly known as ‘noog’ in Ethiopia or ‘birdseed’ in Africa, is a valuable food and an exceptional cooking oil for Africa. Today we tend to forget the simple foods, and niger seed is one of them – easy to grow and easy to use. In Ethiopia and India it has served as a favourite food source for centuries, and niger seed and oil (noog oil) is a valuable trade. It is clear and light in taste and is used the same way as we use olive oil.

Plant niger in full sun and water three times a week. It is a fairly quick crop, reliable and rewarding in the open, but also good for sprouting and microgreens. In the garden it is attractively bright and butterflies and bees love it.

Propagation is always from seed, and every seed germinates. You can sow 2–3 times between early spring and late autumn. Scatter the seed thinly over well-dug, richly composted soil that has been well raked. Scatter batches in a long row, and rake into the soft soil as you go, leaving none exposed for the birds. Cover the area with dried leaves, scattered lightly. This will save the seedlings as they emerge. Set a fine sprinkler over the area to moisten it thoroughly. Add more leaves where needed. Watering is essential as the seeds must not dry out.

The flowers are edible; pull the petals off or pick the young flowers as needed for cooking. Mature flowers are full of seeds, so reap when the flowers are beginning to dry, and dry the seeds on trays in the shade. The Ethiopians press the seeds between stones to extract the oil, or save the seeds for next season’s crop.

Niger thrives between rows of lavender; it also does well near buckwheat and sesame seeds, and I have tried it next to millet and both did well.

Niger oil is similar to olive oil and full of valuable minerals and vitamins as well as protein and carbohydrates. It also makes a delicious salad oil with chopped herbs and lemon juice. It can be bought in Indian shops as a type of non-animal ghee, known as 'vanaspati'. In Ethiopia and Kenya, ground seeds are fried in niger oil or butter, stirred into honey and mashed mango slices, and formed into small cakes. This is Ethiopia’s party sweet! Sprouting niger seed is easy, as is growing it as a microgreen; both are delicious in salads and stir-fries.

Niger stir-fry

In Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia, niger seeds are used as a laxative and colon cleanser, crushed lightly and mixed into breakfast porridge. After eating, a cup of water is drunk and within an hour the bowel movement is painless and soft. Crushed niger seed is also mixed with mashed dates and rolled in desiccated coconut; the balls are given to children to help with constipation, stomach aches and indigestion.

As the seed oil is richly moisturising, the Ethiopians and Kenyans use it for dry skin on the legs. I use the seeds, buds and petals to make a luscious cream that is excellent for cracked heels too.

Niger moisturising skin cream

Family Fagaceae

Species: Quercus robur

Origin: From Europe to Russia

Plant: Huge tree, deciduous

Height: 30–35 m

Soil: Deep, richly composted soil

Exposure: Full sun, can take partial shade

Propagation: Acorns or grafting

Uses: Medicinal

As one of the sacred trees of Europe and Britain, the oak has millennia of history and folklore woven around it, and it was one of the first medicinal trees to appear in the great British pharmacopoeia. Europe’s oak forests dwindled after the timber was used to build naval fleets, but the ships spread acorns all over the world. Today medicines derived from this great tree are being reassessed for their role in healing.

Oaks in Africa have long struggled with persistent mildew and leaf attack due to the heat and dryness. These late-summer conditions don’t respond well to safe natural sprays and root feedings. It is therefore preferable to collect the perfect new spring growth for medicines, washing every leaf and twig with care.

Dig a really large hole in full sunlight and fill with topsoil mixed with rich compost, bone meal and rock dust to sustain the tree. Set a large piece of pipe into the hole at an angle to at least 1½ m in depth; a hose should be inserted for a long slow watering below the roots 2–3 times a month. This will encourage deep growth. Dig in two or three barrow-loads of compost around the oak tree once or twice yearly.

Young oak saplings are available in many nurseries. To grow oaks from seed, press a ripe acorn (fallen from the tree) into a large compost-rich bag of friable soil. Water carefully and do not let it dry out. Be patient as the acorn takes time and needs to be watched over as it strengthens and finally hardens off as a young tree in full sun. Patience and nurturing are key words when propagating from an acorn.

Fresh leaves can be dried in spring for winter use (to prevent mildew or sticky fungus) and kept in a sealed glass jar. Twigs can be cut at any time of the year for teas, and small pieces of bark can also be used. Be very careful when removing bark; take small pieces from different places on the trunk, or use twigs cut into small pieces instead of bark. Prune branches wherever they hang too low, always aware of the perfect shape of this great, spreading tree.

Acorn coffee is an old-fashioned beverage that can still be found in Europe today. To make the coffee, roasted split acorns, peeled from their glossy outer coating, are ground into a powder. The powder (2–4 teaspoons) is boiled in 1½ cups of water for 20 minutes, then strained and taken black with a little honey.

Mature acorns can be peeled and ground into flour, which, if mixed half and half with wheat flour or rice flour, makes a nice pancake.

Tried-and-tested oak remedies remain as potent as they did centuries ago and new research is confirming this. Oak has long been used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.

TO MAKE THE REMEDY: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup oak bark (I use young cleaned twigs, cut into matchstick-sized lengths). Crush the twigs well in a mortar with a strong pestle to release the ‘juices’ into the boiling water. Stir for 10 minutes, then strain and sip slowly. This is a bitter brew, but with a touch of honey it is quite pleasant.

TO MAKE A GARGLE: For sore throats, mouth ulcers, tonsillitis, oral thrush and bleeding gums, boil two cups of crushed, cleaned twigs in two litres of water for 15 minutes. Stir frequently and then strain. Keep in a jug in the fridge and use as a gargle.

Use the spring leaves to make oak leaf tea for vaginal discharge, and as a lotion for insect bites and rashes.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh spring oak leaves. Let the tea stand for five minutes, strain and sip slowly. Oak leaf tea is also used to soothe the skin: once the tea has cooled, saturate a cotton-wool pad and apply to insect bites and red, sore rashes.

As it is an astringent herb, oak is also helpful in cases where there is anal bleeding due to haemorrhoids or excessive diarrhoea. It should be applied as a lotion to wash the anal area after elimination. Thereafter, comforting oak haemorrhoid cream should be applied externally.

Oak haemorrhoid lotion

Oak haemorrhoid cream

Family Rutaceae

Species: Murraya paniculata

Origin: Tropical Asia, Pacific Islands

Plant: Evergreen shrub

Height: Up to 3 m

Soil: Deep, richly composted soil

Exposure: Sun, but prefers partial shade

Propagation: Cuttings, seeds

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

The exquisite orange jessamine is a perennial evergreen plant that many landscapers list as their number one shrub. It produces richly fragrant blossoms that fill the air with heady perfume, especially after the summer rain. The flowers can be added fresh or dried to teas like rooibos, Ceylon, green tea and Earl Grey; store in a sealed container for seven days to allow the fragrant flavours to blend. Ancient uses for the flowers, leaves and edible berries were recorded in Asian pharmacopoeias hundreds of years ago.

This undemanding shrub thrives in a huge pot and can be clipped to fit a manicured garden, or splayed espalier-style against a wall. It also makes a beautiful evergreen hedge and can be clipped into a topiary shape. I have planted it wherever I need a feature or want to beautify a bleak spot, as I know it will blossom into an eye-catcher! Plant out 1½–2 m apart. It flowers 3–4 times a year.

To propagate orange jessamine, cut off the tips of the branches, then strip a few of the leaves around the stem. Take a 12 cm cutting, with the stem a pencil thickness in width. Press it into wet, sandy soil, with at least three nodes under the soil. Keep it moist for six weeks and watch for new growth. Once it looks sturdy and is putting out new leaves, replant it into a bigger pot with compost-rich soil. It needs to establish well before being planted in the garden in full sun or light shade.

Flowers can be picked throughout the year, except in the coldest months when the shrub does not bloom. Dry the flowers and evergreen leaves on screens or trays covered with tissue paper to keep them dust-free. Store the dried flowers in large screw-top jars for use throughout the year.

Known as a ceremonial flower in the Pacific Islands and tropical Asia, orange jessamine flowers and leaves are still used at religious ceremonies and are strewn over pathways and even over guests. They are also used for decorating snacks, ice-creams, salads and juices. The Pacific Islanders also use the flowers to make a syrup that is served chilled in tiny glasses as guests arrive.

The leaves and flowers can be made into a delicious juice with exotic fruits like mango, granadilla or litchi. Pour a litre of boiling water over a cup of fresh orange jessamine leaves and a few flowers. Let the mixture cool, then strain, add a litre of fruit juice and serve with crushed ice and a few orange jessamine flowers. The fresh leaves can also be added to curries, stews, sauces and soups, and the flowers can be crystallised. We reap the berries, too, for succulent sauces and relishes, for cake decorations and fruit punches.

Orange jessamine syrup

Orange jessamine leaves and flowers have long been used in a relaxing anti-spasmodic tea for stress, muscle soreness and tension. Orange jessamine flowers and leaves also make a gentle and uplifting oil for the bath or a relaxing massage oil, especially for dry skin.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup flowers and a few leaflets. Add a touch of honey and stir well with a cinnamon stick. Strain after five minutes and sip slowly.

Orange jessamine massage oil

Family Iridaceae

Species: Iris germanica var. florentina

Origin: Northern temperate regions

Plant: Perennial rhizome

Height: Up to 50 cm

Soil: Well-dug, well-composted soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Rhizomes

Uses: Medicinal, insect-repellent, perfumery

This attractive genus of around 300 species of perennial flowering rhizomatous plants is named after Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The dried root or ‘orris’ had its beginnings in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, where it was used to perfume the robes of pharaohs, emperors and priests. It was considered an almost holy herb, and whole tracts of land were dedicated to its cultivation.

The fragrant root was also used in the storage of holy papers and vestments as it repels insects, and it was listed in the old pharmacopoeias for its medicinal properties, especially as a tea dispensed by the monks who were ‘chemists’ in the community. Later, dried rhizomes were powdered or crushed and used in teas, dental preparations and dusting powder for athlete’s foot. The root was also used in fruit juices and gin to enhance the flavour. The taste became very fashionable around 1850 and it was added to confectionery, jellies and desserts at the time.

Orris root was possibly the first perfume known to humankind, as the sliced and dried rhizome has an extraordinarily beautiful scent of fresh violets, which intensifies as it matures. Because of its fragrance and its medicinal properties it became a much-favoured trade item. At the Herbal Centre we have a jar of dried orris root on display in our small apothecary – it is around 50 years old and still viable!

Iris germanica var. florentina grows wild near Florence, and became a blessed flower of the aristocracy in that area. It was the inspiration for the ‘Fleur-de-lis’, with the three top petals representing faith, wisdom and valour, and the lower three petals said to represent the Holy Trinity.

I remember being completely entranced by the Florentine iris when I visited a beautiful villa in the area and the entire garden was planted with cypress trees and orris root, which was in full bloom! Inside the villa, orris root rhizomes were sown into the hems of the great brocade curtains, muslin bags of the dried root were tucked among beautiful linen in the armoires, and in the library, priceless documents were stored with peeled, dried orris root, protecting the papers and scenting the room with the unforgettable perfume of violets.

Plant the rhizomes 40 cm apart in well-dug, richly composted soil in full sun. Plant in a furrow, and run the water along it 2–3 times weekly in very hot weather. The flowers are brilliant purple in the sun and make a glorious spring and early summer display that takes your breath away; 3–4 buds open along every stem. I give extra water at that time. Once the flowers are spent, cut off the spent flowering stems and give a sprinkling of rock dust or bone meal and dig in with a little compost. Iris growers sell the rhizomes and in some nurseries you can buy plants. At the Herbal Centre we have found that we are only able to sell our plants in spring when they are in full flower.

Dig up the rhizomes in winter and trim off the fan-shaped leaves. Cut off pieces of rhizome with ‘growing eyes’. Replant the ‘mother rhizome’ and any small rhizomes you need to extend the planting; for new planting, dig in compost and rock dust.

Wash and dry the rhizomes you intend to dry for use as insect repellent and perfumed cupboard freshener. Peel off the soft outer covering with a potato peeler, and dry the sliced rhizome in the shade. It dries evenly and well if you turn it daily. Seal into large glass jars with good lids. I add a few drops of violet oil to the rhizomes for extra fragrance when needed.

Orris root was used as a dried, powdered decoction, and was frequently made into a tea to ease a chesty cough, to clear phlegm, to open the bronchi, to relieve hay fever and catarrh, and for diarrhoea.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Mix half a teaspoon of orris root powder into a teaspoon of honey, then stir the mixture into a cup of boiling water, and sip slowly. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if liked. The tea (without the honey and lemon) can be used as a wash for cleaning wounds. Orris root tea was once sold at street markets in winter to treat coughs and colds, and today the powder is still available in medicinal herb shops. It is also used in chewing gum to help repair the gums and as a breath freshener.

Family Cariceae

Species: Carica papaya

Origin: South America

Plant: Short-lived perennial, evergreen tree

Height: Up to 4 m

Soil: Richly composted soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Few of us think of the humble pawpaw as a health food, but it truly is an exceptional plant, especially for the digestion and skin, and its action is sure and safe. Spanish and Portuguese explorers probably took the first papaya seeds to Europe from South America, and by 1800 it was being cultivated in most tropical and subtropical areas for its culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses. Today South Africa and Hawaii are the main growers and the luscious fruit travel semi-ripe to the cold north, ‘bursting with sunshine’. All parts of the plant are used.

Plant trees 2 m apart so that the crown of leaves and the fruit ripening against the stem have sufficient space. The hole should be deep, richly composted and in full sun. Flood the tree with water 2–3 times a week and build a good ‘dam’ around it to hold the water. Male and female trees need to be planted near each other; one male tree is usually sufficient for 10 or even 15 female trees. In areas where cold winds can damage the trees, cover with frost cover and plant against a north-facing wall; adding a barrow-load of compost around the roots also helps to protect the trees in the winter. The fragrant white flowers are abundant and pollinated by moths all through the summer.

I have found that an easy way to keep a good stock of young papaya trees is to toss the fresh seeds onto the compost heap! Tiny plants come up in abundance; when they are big enough to handle, dig out carefully so as not to damage the long roots, and plant into large, richly composted bags. Water every second day to enable luscious little trees to emerge. Alternatively, press a few seeds into a bag filled with a mixture of topsoil and compost, and keep moist. Tiny trees will soon emerge. Thin out or transplant should there be more than one per bag and nurture until strong enough to plant out.

The fruit forms early on in the season and ripens through the late summer. It needs to be protected from birds and monkeys; many papino growers twist plastic snakes around the fruit to frighten them off! If you let the fruit ripen to golden colour on the tree before harvesting, it will not only taste wonderful, but will be rich in vitamins and minerals.

This is a versatile fruit, enjoyed in juices, smoothies, fruit salads and on muesli. The fruit slices can be candied for winter treats, made into pickles and relishes, and even dried in the sun for chewy lunchbox treats. Fresh leaves, unripe slices of the fresh fruit, and the fresh seeds, crushed with a rolling pin, have been used for centuries to tenderise meat and chicken. Fruit skins are also used to wrap tough meat and shellfish while cooking.

The flowers can be crystallised and used in cake decorating, or fried in butter with ginger and honey as a cake topping. The papain in the fruit is also extracted and used in chewing gum.

Papaya is rich in enzymes that ease the digestion, particularly of protein, and it is therefore often served as a dessert after a meat-rich meal in tropical countries. The fresh fruit and some skin can be taken first thing in the morning to expel threadworms, to ease gas, colic, spasm and bloated discomfort, and to cleanse and detoxify. Papaya is simply one of the best breakfast fruits in the world and ensures that the bowel becomes regular daily.

A few ripe papaya seeds eaten daily, mashed into the papaya flesh, eases inflamed and painful joints, and a warm poultice of the fresh, green leaves (softened in a bowl of hot water) remains a popular application that is still used today. Rheumatism, arthritis, sprains and aching joints are eased in this way.

Warmed leaves and the inside of the skin have been used to treat skin rashes, mild burns, and grazes. The inside of the skin also makes an excellent beauty mask for red, dry, flaky skin that is itchy, chapped and sore, and it is included today in soaps and skin lotions. Milk from the leaf stems will even clear crusty warts, blisters and dry callouses, and the Hawaiians used papaya in their shampoos for dry itchy scalps.

The fruit is rich in vitamins A, C and E, plus beta carotene, calcium and dietary fibre, and is important for both internal and external tumours. I add it to my body creams as it is an excellent treatment for boils, ulcers, skin tumours, warts and slow-healing wounds.

Family Geraniaceae

Species: Pelargonium sidoides

Origin: South Africa, Lesotho, Eastern Cape

Plant: Small perennial shrub

Height: Up to 50 cm

Soil: Loose, lightly composted soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Cuttings, tuberous roots

Uses: Medicinal

Sidoides is a much-respected traditional medicine, known in isiZulu as ‘ubala’. However, this small, unusual pelargonium is relatively unknown to many South Africans, as trade of the fleshy, red, tuberous root is often guarded, and the German pharmaceutical industry has claimed the market, trading the dried, powdered root under the name ‘Umckaloabo’. Export of the root to Germany is extensive and today sidoides is rarely found in African marketplaces, or even in the wild. It is sometimes sold at indigenous nurseries, and the roots are occasionally found at roadside stalls in Lesotho and the Eastern Cape.

It is an important plant as an antibiotic, anti-viral and immune-system stimulant, and protected plantings are needed urgently to replenish depleted stock. The roots have a fragrant smell and are made into teas for diarrhoea, stomach ache and chest ailments. As today’s pollution level increases viral, bacterial and fungal infections, it is my hope that this gentle South African plant will be rediscovered as a healing herb of the future.

Sidoides is not easy to grow because, although it takes the cold admirably, it struggles in intense heat. It needs friable soil with light compost. Small, dark red flowers appear in summer, held above the foliage in clusters of five or more; in the heat they turn almost black. The rounded, heart-shaped leaves are distinctive.

Propagation is by pieces of root. Before planting, soak them overnight in water to thoroughly moisten the pieces. Next morning, press the root pieces into pots filled with moist, compost-rich soil; two pieces per pot. Label the pots and keep them shaded and protected. Once the new leaves appear, place in the sun for an increasing length of time each day. When the little plants are sturdy and full of leaves, plant out in partial or light shade, in a deeply dug, well-composted bed at least 35 cm apart. Water three times a week; be careful not to overwater.

Roots can be dug up after the plant’s second winter to use in medications, and leaves can be picked fresh at any time of the year to make into washes and drenches for year-old calves in the summer heat, and to make a relaxing bath in midsummer. The roots can be used fresh or dried and pounded to pulp; store the roots in glass containers with a good screw-top lid. A teaspoon of pulp, or fresh chopped well-washed root, can be used as a tea when needed.

Compounds within the roots are exceptional, with their strong and reliable coumarin and phenol content and anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity. The herb has become a valuable treatment for bronchitis, chronic respiratory ailments, flu symptoms, excessive mucus production, wheezing and distressed breathing. ‘Umckaloabo’ has proven valuable and safe in the case of children with bronchitis, and dosages have been trialled and studied.

In Xhosa and Zulu traditional medicine, sidoides root tea is used to ease diarrhoea, dysentery and gonorrhoea, with excellent results.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over no more than one level tablespoon of the well-washed, shaved root. Stir the tea thoroughly until it has cooled to a comfortable warmth, then strain and consume a few sips at a time during the day. Where there is infection of the ears, nose and throat, with a chesty cough, give ¼ cup of the tea at a time, warmed, through the day; alternatively, homeopathic tinctures made in Germany can be used under the care of a homeopathic doctor.

In Lesotho, sidoides is used in cases of rectal weakness and haemorrhoids, taken as a tea and used as a wash or lotion.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Boil 1½ cups of leaves and stems in 1½ litres water for 20 minutes, then cool and strain the liquid. Use it as a wash. The warmed leaves can be packed around the anus to ease the discomfort, held in place with a pair of snug-fitting underpants.

I have used the root in a comforting cream for haemorrhoids, sores around the anus, and as a chest rub for bronchitis to ease a cough. The cream is also useful for infected scratches and bites, and homeopathic doctors add the tincture they make to the cream and apply it to infected bites, stings and rashes, with excellent results. Add ¼ cup of ashwagandha leaves and berries to the cream to clear skin infections and infected bites (see p. 36).

Sidoides cream

Magical stories are told to children in Lesotho and the Eastern Cape of strange-speaking people coming to look at sidoides, liking the scent, and making medicines that enabled them to fly away with it!

Family Piperaceae

Species: Piper nigrum

Origin: South and east India

Plant: Evergreen perennial vine

Height: Up to 2 m

Soil: Deeply dug, moist, richly composted soil

Exposure: Light shade

Propagation: Berries

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

Pepper is one of the oldest known spices and it was the main commodity traded along the colourful trade routes centuries ago. Great explorers like Marco Polo, Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Sir Francis Drake were all part of the spice trade. In the Middle Ages, pepper was a used as a currency and to pay taxes; and a Guild of Peppers was started in London so that pepper could be available and regulated in many countries. Today it is grown extensively in tropical areas. Green, white and black peppercorns have been used in traditional medicine and food preparation from antiquity to the present day.

My own pepper plantings have been a disappointment due to the winter cold and insufficient heat throughout the year. We add the pink peppercorns of Schinus molle (Peruvian pepper) and S. terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper), which grow easily and abundantly in our gardens, to our pepper grinders. Pink peppercorns from both these trees are not safe to ingest in large amounts and their spicy resinous taste is often not palatable, but their pretty colour added to black, green or white pepper mixtures makes it a saleable commodity. However, use it sparingly, only as a flavour enhancer and not as a replacement for white, green or black pepper.

Pepper needs a tropical climate with high humidity and frequent tropical rain to encourage formation of the catkins. Plant in richly composted soil mixed with rock dust, in deeply dug soil in partial shade, and water daily. Vines need a framework to grow up, such as a wigwam of sticks tied together at the top, and they must be carefully tended and pruned. Catkins of round berries are always hand-picked. Dig in compost mixed with rock dust all around the pepper vines 3–4 times yearly, always watering it in well. Allow the hosepipe to dribble into the roots by making a substantial ‘dam’ around each plant. Long, slow watering is needed at least twice weekly; 3–4 times a week in very hot weather, and also spray the leaves with a fine spray in the hot afternoons.

Unsually propagation is from cuttings from the main vine. Clip a 15 cm length just below a node and press at least two nodes under moist, richly composted soil. I have also been successful in layering the long vine stems onto moist, deeply dug soil. With a loop of thick wire pressed over the vine, it can be held onto the soft soil, encouraging fine root formation. Once well established, cut off from the mother plant and wait for 4–6 weeks, then dig the whole plant up taking care not to disturb the roots, and replant immediately into a prepared new place, enriched with compost, rock dust and lots of water. In this way, many plants can be enticed to grow from one parent plant.

Green, white and black peppercorns are the same berry at different stages of maturation and processed in different ways.

Green peppercorns are berries picked before maturity. Harvest them when they are still green and fresh on the stems, and dry well. They can also be freeze-dried or pickled, or they can be bought dry in boxes. They are used in Thai cooking and are available in Asian markets worldwide.

White peppercorns are ripe red and orange peppercorns that have been submerged in slowly running water. This process rots the outer fruit or ‘husk’, leaving the hard seed. The rotting husk is rubbed away and the seeds are dried in the sun and sold as ‘white peppercorns’.

Black peppercorns are the green berries dried on mats in the sun. They are raked several times a day for about a week or until they are dry. Black peppercorns are also achieved by cooking the green berries briefly; the heat disrupts the cell growth and slowly blackens the whole fruit. This is the peppercorn we buy relatively inexpensively as part of daily food flavouring.

Pepper is probably the most widely used spice worldwide and adds warmth and flavour to food. Whole peppercorns keep far better than cracked or ground pepper, which eventually loses its flavour and aroma. Store in an airtight glass container and keep in a dry, cool, dark place. Many cooks prefer to grind whole peppercorns at the end of the cooking period or at the table, as the aromatics diminish during cooking.

Pepper sauce

Spicy pepper-grinder mix

Pepper is an exceptional digestive as it stimulates the taste buds and therefore the production of hydrochloric acid, which breaks down food in the stomach. It is also considered an appetite stimulant. Piperine, the spicy hot component, eases nausea, indigestion and burping, and it is helpful for chills, colds, winter ailments, asthma, and rhinitis. It has been used as a decongestant for centuries and is a long-known medication with anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and analgesic properties.

In Europe, pepper is an important ingredient in stews, sausages and broths, taken to ease head colds and headaches and to clear bacterial infections. It is also taken to treat the aches and pains of lumbago, sciatica, rheumatism and bronchitis. It can be used to treat toothache, and even epilepsy, under a doctor’s care.

In Ayurvedic medicine, pepper is an important ingredient in a medication known as ‘chyawanprash’, a superb, immune-system-boosting, rejuvenating tonic that is particularly valuable during bitter winters.

Family Lythraceae

Species: Punica granatum

Origin: South and Eastern Europe

Plant: Shrub, small tree

Height: Up to 3 m

Soil: Thrives in a deep, compost-filled hole

Exposure: Full sun, light shade

Propagation: Cuttings, seeds

Uses: Culinary, medicinal

The pomegranate is said to be the Tree of Life, and there is speculation as to whether it was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden! Its Latin name literally means ‘seeded apple’. It is a symbol of hope, one of the ‘three blessed fruits’ in Buddhism, and a symbol of resurrection in Christianity. It has an amazing history and features in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings. Numerous papyrus references state that it was used as a medicine and a food, and refer to it as a religious symbol and a symbol of fertility. Thus it became a food recommended for the childless woman, and was grown in early places of worship.

Pomegranates were also said to have grown in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and in the 16th century, when pomegranate trade was paramount, Rabbi Moses ben Jacob Cordovero described how growing an orchard of pomegranates was ‘healing for the soul’. I have grown pomegranates all my life. In my childhood we had pomegranate hedges between the houses and our mothers and grandmothers made us juice from the jewel-like fruits, and that fed my soul!

The little trees need to be spaced 2–3 m apart, closer if you want a hedge. Plant each tree in a large, deep hole filled with good, old compost mixed with topsoil. Add a cup of rock dust, sprinkled around the hole, as you sink the tree into it. Fill the hole with water to wet the roots thoroughly; then build a ‘dam’ around it to retain water. I find that sinking a metre-long, wide plastic pipe into the hole at an angle helps to get water deep down to the roots. Insert a hose into the pipe once a week. Water at least three times a week in the summer and once or twice a week in winter. Dig in a small barrow of compost around each tree, three times a year, to ensure a good fruiting crop. The spring flowers are vividly orange and indicate a rich harvest. We sell the little trees throughout the summer, reminding each buyer of their blessing and symbolism of life, longevity, fertility and wisdom.

Strip off a short twig with a little ‘heel’ and press it carefully into a pot or bag of moist, rich soil. Keep it shaded and protected, and water daily or on alternate days, depending on how well the soil holds moisture. The young tree should be ready for planting in about three years. There is something infinitely satisfying about propagating promegranates.

Dry the ripe seeds spread out on a tray in a warm place. Shake the tray daily to ensure even drying and, once dry, store the seeds in a glass screw-top jar.

Pressed pomegranate juice, drunk immediately after juicing and with no sugar or preservatives added, is like drinking gold – it is so valuable for all age groups. Eat a teaspoonful or two of the sun-dried seeds daily and add them to seed and spice mixes. In a grinder, mix equal quantities of dried pomegranate seeds, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Grind this over plain breakfast yogurt or porridge; in this way you can enjoy pomegranate seeds all year round. The brilliant fresh seeds can be sprinkled on salads and fruit salads, and are used in smoothies and beverages, in baking, and as a food garnish. The taste ranges from sweet to sour, depending on ripeness and cultivar.

Ancient Greek physicians used pomegranate juice and seeds to treat bronchitis, as an anti-inflammatory, as a cough suppressant and for diarrhoea and dysentery. Medical research today confirms all the above uses, as well as pomegranate’s benefit in cases of night sweats, atherosclerosis, asthma, tonsillitis and chest ailments. It also strengthens the capillaries and, surprisingly, activates bone regeneration. I use it in my skin creams to clear acne, to regenerate the skin, to give it a glow, and to soothe sunburn.

Pomegranate is rich in anti-oxidants and is a superb treatment for prostate problems, particularly prostate cancer, and it slows the rate of tumour formation. The fruit and juice are simply incredible during menopause and post-menopause, and the dried seed contains oestrogen-type compounds. Researchers have found that the ellagic acid in fresh pomegranate seed juice helps to prevent the earliest chemical reactions within the body that may lead to breast cancer, particularly in families where breast cancer is a reality, and scientists and doctors have recorded reduced incidence of breast cancer with pomegranate intake.

It is easier to separate the ruby-coloured seeds from the white internal membranes in a bowl of water, as the seeds sink and the membranes float.

Family Malvaceae

Species: Sida rhombifolia

Origin: International, especially in the tropics and subtropics

Plant: Tough perennial

Height: Up to 1 m; usually 75 cm

Soil: Any soil; thrives in compost-rich soil

Exposure: Full sun

Propagation: Seed

Uses: Medicinal (some tribal culinary use)

Years ago I wrote about Sida rhombifolia as it grew prolifically on our farm. I had seen the local women tying firewood with strong cordage which they made by pounding branches of ‘Pretoria bossie’ on the smooth river rocks. I had come to know it as Pretoria bossie because apparently it had been grown in the Pretoria area by a few enterprising farmers as a ‘jute crop’ to make into cord and potato sacks, but it never became a major crop.

Sida is considered indigenous to South Africa and is well known in Limpopo province, where local people eat the fresh leaves in soups and stews. It has a tough presence in fields, along roadsides and in city waste grounds. It is almost impossible to pull out and has an ultra-tough taproot that does not yield easily, even when pulled by a tractor.

There are several varieties of sida in this genus, and I have Sida cordifolia and S. acuta growing too. All are used in the same way, and the whole plant is used. New research shows that sida has natural antibiotic and anti-viral substances in it, which could become extremely useful in the future. Sida is a tough perennial, but find a space for it as it will become more and more important, and is a popular home medication as a general tonic.

Space plants 1 m apart in deeply dug well-composted soil. Water them 2–3 times a week in summer, and once a week in winter.

Propagation is either by seeds collected from mature plants from late summer onwards, or young plants dug up in spring and early summer, before their strong root system anchors them forever. Sow the seeds in trays of moist, composted soil. Sprinkle the seeds lightly and press down. Cover with a light sprinkling of sandy soil. Stand the seed tray in a bigger tray of water so that the seeds are watered from below. When the seedlings are big enough to handle, prick them out and plant in bags filled with moist topsoil and compost. The seeds are fairly slow-growing and need to establish well before being planted out in full sun. I am becoming more competent in propagating by seed as I am fascinated with this exceptional plant.

Pick young leaves, sprigs and the pretty little pale yellow flowers all through the year for teas, and for adding to soups and stews.

Medicinally, sida is a giant! The list of ailments relieved by this herb is growing. Sida tea treats candida, salmonella and staphylococcal infections, amoebic dysentery, depression, gastritis, enteritis, colds and flu, jaundice, kidney stones, eczema and itching, sores, boils, infected scratches, rashes, whooping cough, vaginal infections, TB, cystitis, joint pains, swellings, malaria and Parkinson’s disease. It is also useful as a diuretic and as a tonic, and in cases of bleeding haemorrhoids, dandruff, scalp infections and blood disorders. It is even considered to be a cardiac tonic, and a tea of the roots treats intestinal worms in humans and animals.

TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over half a cup of twigs, leaves and flowers cut into small pieces. Stir the tea well, strain after 5–10 minutes and sip slowly. One cup a day is the standard dose, but when the condition is acute, give half a cup 4–6 times a day.

I have tried fresh sida in a healing cream and find it excellent for infected bites, sores, rashes, eczema, itchy areas (especially on the scrotum), and on haemorrhoids and itchy anus. I have also tried this cream on rheumatic aches and pains and over HIV sores and rashes, and found in every case that it soothed and, with daily applications, healed. With the tea taken internally and the cream applied externally, this is a most comforting and positive treatment for humans and animals.

Sida lotion or wash is very soothing for haemorrhoids, infected skin lesions, eczema, itchy rashes and scabies.

Juniper face cream

Lawn daisy pickle

Bonny bellis healing cream

Liatris and fennel kidney tea

Liatris skin lotion

Liatris insect-repellent spray

Liquidambar oil

Liquorice-extract bath for rashes and shingles

Detoxifying periwinkle bath salt

Madonna lily lotion

Madonna lily cream

Health-boosting berry smoothie

Mahonia lotion

Mallow lotion

Mallow cream

Mastic oil

Mastic massage cream

Melokhia stew

Millet sprout super drink

Emperor’s longevity tonic

Niger stir-fry

Niger moisturising skin cream

Oak haemorrhoid lotion

Oak haemorrhoid cream

Orange jessamine syrup

Orange jessamine massage oil

Sidoides cream

Pepper sauce

Spicy pepper-grinder mix

Sida healing cream

Sida lotion