3 Ornamentals That are More Than Just Decorative

October 3, 2017

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Lucy Wyndham

Homeopathic medicine has been gaining world-wide recognition and wide-spread use, with over 300 million people regularly using it worldwide. In Canada, around 70% of the population use natural therapies, or complementary medical techniques, on a regular basis. With that level of popularity, it’s easy to see why an increasing number of people want to learn how to start harnessing the benefits of gentle, natural care right at home. Many plants that are used Homeopathically also have beneficial herbal properties and are easy to grow.  You might even have a few in your garden already!

Echinacea

Echinacea, or coneflower, is popular with gardeners as an ornamental flower because of its hardiness and beautiful pink and purple colors. As such, it can be found in many gardens across North America. As an herbal remedy, echinacea is used widely as an immune enhancer. Often taken during cold and flu season to help give your body a little extra help in staving off illness. Echinacea does well in full sunlight or moderate shade. So make sure to pick a spot in your garden that will get plenty of sunlight.

Yucca

Yucca is native to the American southwest, but is remarkably hardy. Although most of Canada is north of the ideal climate for yucca, it does very well as an indoor plant. As an added benefit to growing yucca plants indoors, it also works as a natural and healthy air purifier. Yucca has natural anti inflammatory properties which make it ideal for treating arthritis. Drinking tea made from yucca root is an excellent way to start reaping the medicinal benefits of yucca for arthritis at home. When growing yucca, either outdoors or inside, make sure there is plenty of sunlight and good drainage. The plant will need to be divided from time to time as it grows, which is also the best time to harvest the roots.

Chamomile

Chamomile is an attractive lawn alternative, especially for hills, or other areas where the terrain makes regular grass lawn maintenance untenable. Over one million cups of chamomile tea are consumed every day worldwide. Chamomile is used for a variety of medicinal purposes including hay fever, inflammation, and insomnia. When incorporating chamomile into your garden, it is best to remember that the plant does best in full sunlight, but can also thrive in partial shade. Chamomile can also be grown indoors in containers, although it may require some support, such as a wooden dowel, as it can become top heavy with blossoms.

With the growing interest in homeopathy, now is the perfect time to start learning about it and even start growing your own plants at home. There are many ways in which herbal preparations can enhance and better your life. Not only by making you feel better, but also by adding a little bit of beauty to your home.