Alfalfa:
A perennial plant found on the borders of fields, in low valleys, and widely cultivated. A plant prized by ranchers for livestock feed because of it's high protein content, alfalfa is also commonly used for a beverage, but it can be taken medicinally. Taken every day it can help improve appetite, relieve urinary and bowl problems, eliminate retained water, and even aid in curing peptic ulcers.

Chickweed:
This annual or biennial weed can be found all over the world in gardens, fields, waste places, along roadsides in in lawns. It is primarily anti pyretic and demulcent, but has great nutritive properties used over long periods of time. It is used extensively to help promote weight loss in the obese, as it breaks up fats and helps flush them out of the body while nourishing all the body's systems. Used in conjunction with plantain, it makes a wonderful ointment or salve for rashes, irritated skin, bruises etc. It is sometimes used in natural soaps for the same purpose. It makes a great decoction for a compress to be used when you've been out in the sun too long, or are running a fever.

Dandelion:
This pesky "weed" that most of us try so hard to get rid of is one of the most common, readily available herbs. In early spring, while the leaves are still young and tender, they can be cooked like spinach, or served raw in a salad. Later in the year, especially if rain is not plentiful, they may be too tough and bitter for most people's taste. The leaves, like most greens are high in vitamin A which gives a boost to the immune system. A tea can be made from the root to serve as a kidney and liver purifier.
Dandelion is ideal as a diuretic as it provides potassium and other vital minerals while flushing the kidneys and drawing fluid from the cell walls.
If you have kidney problems, be sure to contact a professional healthcare provider before using any diuretic. Even herbal remedies can overwork weak kidneys.
Dandelion leaves are also good for the circulation. For this purpose they can be taken internally as a food or as a tea, or a cup of the dried leaves can be tied in a washcloth and added to a warm bath.
If you like chicory coffee, try drying dandelion roots, grinding them and adding them to regular coffee (you'll need to adjust the amount according to your taste). You'll use less coffee, which means you get less caffeine, and get the added benefits of dandelion.
An oil infusion of dandelion flowers can be used on bumps, bangs, bruises and scrofolous sores. The flowers also make tasty fritters and dandelion wine is well known.

Mullein: A good remedy for sinusitis, mullein also helps relieve the symptoms of allergies. It is sometimes taken for coughs, and other chest ailments.

Alliums:
More commonly known as garlic, onions, chives, leeks, shallots etc., these plants provide innumerable benefits to the system. They are high in vitamin A and so provide a boost to the immune system. Garlic has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and aid in preventing heart disease by keeping the arteries free of plaque. All alliums are anti-bacterial, but garlic is the strongest. Some people claim a tonic of crushed garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey aids in relieving the pain of arthritis.

Basil:
This herb so commonly used to flavor vegetables (especially tomatoes) and to make the delicious pesto served with pasta, is a real powerhouse in nature's pharmacy. It is great for aiding digestion. As an antispasmodic, it relieves stomach cramps, and has been used to quiet the cough of whooping cough.
In India and Africa, people rub the leaves on their skin to act as an insect repellent. Basil contains many anti viral compounds. One widely practiced folk remedy for warts was to rub crushed basil leaves on the growths.

Fenugreek Seed:
One of the oldest medicinal plants, dating back to the Egyptians and Hippocrates. Large amounts of the decoction are given to strengthen those suffering from tuberculosis or recovering from an illness. It can also be taken for bronchitis or fevers and gargled for sore throat. A poultice of pulverized seeds is a good remedy for gouty pains, neuralgia, sciatica, swollen glands, wounds, sores, and skin irritations.

Parsley:
The universal plate garnish and breath freshener. A little parsley in your herb blend used on meats, poultry and veggies helps add depth of flavor. And just look what else it can do! Parsley tea, made from the seeds and the leaves, and also the fresh juice are used for dropsy, jaundice, asthma, coughs, and suppressed or difficult menstruation. The juice has also been used as a compress to successfully to treat conjunctivitis and inflammation of the eyelids.

Warning: It is important to take the proper dosage for these ailments, and parsley is not to be used at all if kidney inflammation exists.

Peppers (hot):
Always great to spice up your food, hot peppers are great for opening up your sinuses. Capsacien extracted from hot peppers is now being used to make a salve that is reported to relieve the pain of arthritis. Under the supervision of a professional, cayenne pepper in addition to a blend of other herbs has been reported to clear up cataracts and relieve the pressure caused by glaucoma. Do not try this without the supervision of a healthcare practitioner!! A precise dosage and method must be used.

Peppermint:
Peppermint tea or oil can be taken for nervousness, insomnia, cramps, coughs, or migraine. Planted around your house, it helps drive away mice.

Rosemary:
The stimulant action of rosemary helps promote liver function, the production of bile and proper digestion. Excessive amounts of rosemary can be toxic. Used externally in a salve rosemary is useful for rheumatism, scrofulous sores, eczema, bruises and wounds.
The bond between memory and rosemary is strong. This culinary herb contains more than a dozen antioxidants that protect your brain cells from oxidation by free radicals and, perhaps Alzheimer's disease. Crush a few leaves to put in potato salad or pasta salad to keep it from spoiling, and refresh your mind at the same time!!
Some elderly people have attributed their lack of gray hair to a weekly rinse of rosemary and sage tea prepared in a cast iron skillet.

Sage:
Yes, that culinary herb that add the extra zing to cornbread dressing for your thanksgiving turkey, and the sausage for your breakfast also has medicinal properties!
Sage's best known medicinal effect is the reduction of perspiration, making it effective in treating the night sweats experienced by those with tuberculosis and women in menopause. As a gargle the tea is good for sore throat, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. It also helps to eliminate mucous congestion in the respiratory passages and the stomach.

Aztec Sweet Plant:
Has no nutritional value whatsoever. However one small leaf can sweeten a whole pitcher of tea, making it a great replacement for sugar or chemical sugar substitutes. If you're looking for a natural, commercial replacement for the sweetener you're using now, ask your pharmacist or local health food store about Stevia. It has been used to lower blood pressure and some diabetics have seen a reduction in their blood sugar when using it.

Thyme:
As a tincture, extract, or infusion, thyme is commonly used in throat and bronchial problems. In medieval times, knights carried thyme leaves in pouches on their belts to apply as a poultice on wounds. It is also a great bath herb to use for sore, achy muscles.

Calendula:
Also known as Pot Marigold, this pretty yellow flower is not a true Marigold. It is an annual garden plant which blooms from June to October or the first freeze. Its "happy" yellow flowers brighten up your yard as well as being an invaluable aid to your health. There is a saying "where calendula is no infection can stay". It is often given internally for ulcers, stomach cramps, colitis, and diarrhea. It is also useful taken internally for fever, boils, abscesses and to prevent recurrent vomiting. It makes an excellent salve for wounds, bruises, sprains, pulled muscles, sores boils, and to sooth dry, chapped skin.

Chamomile:
Best known for their calmative effect, the pleasant apple like flavor of chamomile flowers make a tasty "sleepy time tea" to relax and soothe the jangled nerves most of us in this fast paced, high tech world are familiar with. Chamomile is also used to relieve lumbago, rheumatic problems, and it helps facilitate bowel movement without acting directly as a purgative.

Echinacea:
One of my favorites! It is not only a pretty addition to your flower garden, (you may know it as purple cone flower) it propagates freely (needs to be divided about every three years), it is a terrific immune builder. The roots of this herb can be dried and made into a tea, (or fresh roots are made into tinctures), and taken as a blood purifier to treat eczema, acne, and boils thought to indicate contaminants in the blood.
It is one of the ingredients in a blend I use for upper respiratory infections of all kinds, especially bronchitis. As a blood purifier, it helps carry toxins from the body and fight infection while building the immune system.
The fresh flowers of E. purpurea can also be used as a tea to relieve a cold or flu symptoms. Just pick a fresh flower, chop it up ,petals, seed cone and all and steep in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.
More about Echinacea

Lavender:
A staple in Flower and herb gardens all over the world, lavender is one of the best known medicinal herbs in most cultures throughout the world. Its flowers and leaves are both aromatic and are soothing and calming to the nerves. It has been used in "sleep pillows" to help sooth and quiet mind and body. It is most usually used in the form of essential oil, and is very beneficial as antiseptic, analgesic, aromatic, and vulnerary (promoting the growth of new cells).

Yarrow:
Also known as milfoil, yarrow has long been used in the treatment of lack of appetite, stomach cramps, liver problems, and internal hemorrhage, particularly in the lungs. Fresh yarrow juice acts as a general tonic by building up the blood.
Yarrow is another ingredient in my personal blend of herbs used for upper respiratory ailments.
Stephen Foster has a wonderful, educational site to learn much more about the medicinal properties of plants.

A salve is basically oil thickened with beeswax (or a vegetable wax like carnuba). To make an herbal salve, you just infuse your oil with herbs.

I use about 1 oz dried herbs for every 8 oz of oil and my oil of choice is extra virgin olive oil.

Heat method: You can either mix your herbs and oil in a crock pot and turn it to low and leave it until the herbs become crisp, or you can put the oil and herb mixture in an oven at 150 degrees. I find that in the oven it takes about 4 hours. It takes much longer in the crock pot. You don't ever want your oil to "boil" as I've seen recommended by some authors. The high heat destroys much of the beneficial ingredients in the herbs.

When your herbs are crisp you know they've given all their "life" to the oil and it's time to strain them. Line a sieve with a clean muslin cloth and place it over a bowl. Pour the oil and herb into the sieve. Allow the oil to drain off the herbs, then gather the muslin over the remaining herbs and squeeze as much oil out of them as you can.

Place the bottom of a double boiler over medium heat and add a cup of water. Place the oil in the top of the double boiler and add about 1 to 1 1/2 oz beeswax. Allow the beeswax to melt completely, then pour your salve into clean jars and cap them.

Be sure to label your salve with the ingredients and the date made.

To clean the top of your double boiler easily, put some dish washing detergent in it and pour the boiling water from the bottom of the double boiler into it. Use a spoon or a fork to swish your dishcloth around in it good. Pour off that water and wash again in very hot water.

Cold Infusion Method:
If you grow or have access to fresh herbs and you want to infuse the fresh ones into oil for later use, allow them to wilt for about 24 hours, pack them loosely into a jar, cover with oil and cap it. Allow them to infuse until you're ready to use them, or place in a sunny window for 2 weeks then strain.

A tincture is an extract made using herbs and a combination of alcohol and water. As you will see in the video below, it is important to use both water and alcohol to tincture your herbs as the water extracts some properties and the alcohol extracts others.

Making a tincture by Tim Walking Bear Goodblood

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