Outdoors: Grasp the nettle

From hay fever remedies to arthritis cures, your garden's a veritable medicine chest

Nettles, dandelions and horsetail are just a few of the plants which don't last long in the average garden. Having been branded weeds, they're swiftly dug up and banished. But in a herbalist's garden, these are all plants which would be carefully tended before being used to cure a variety of ills.

"Mention dandelions to a herbalist and they'll think of a lovely plant that's used for x, y and z," says practitioner David Pirie.
"Mention them to a gardener and they're less enthusiastic. But plants Pirie holds workshops that aim not only to inform about the healing properties of plants, but provide the hands-on skills to allow people to turn those weeds into a basic first aid kit. Take the nettle, scourge of country walks and an unwelcome visitor to the ornamental border. According to Pirie, it may be just the plant to cure your hay fever. "The secret is you have to pick them and use them fresh, starting in spring and continuing through summer. Put a little handful of nettles into a pot, pour on boiling water and let it sit for 20 minutes. Nettles contain antihistamines which prime your body so that when the pollen count rises, you've already built up immunity." Just don't forget to wear gloves when you're picking them.

Some plant folklore has survived – using dock leaves on nettle stings being one example – but much has gradually been lost as we take pills to cure our ills and value plants purely for their decorative properties.

"I think people are slightly scared now to go out and pick things themselves and I think we are losing that connection with nature," says Pirie.

"You've got to be very careful in what you do, because there are plants that are extremely toxic and have the ability to make you very ill or even kill you, so proper identification is crucial. But there are hundreds of plants that can be used safely in teas and creams and ointments and which can be used preventatively as medicine."

As gardeners, we usually choose plants for their size, scent, colour or texture, but there's no reason why we shouldn't draw on their other useful properties. If you're growing comfrey to use as a fertiliser, for instance, it's good to know it can be turned into an ointment that's good for healing wounds. Aloe vera is well-known as a moisturiser, and evening primrose oil has multiple uses, from skin creams to hormonal treatments. Peppermint and chamomile are just a couple of the many herbs which can be brewed into a soothing tea. Then there are the berries, many of these can be made into syrups and tinctures to help treat coughs and colds. Rosehip syrup, rich in vitamin C, is a traditional remedy for sore throats, but it's not the only useful autumn fruit. "Berries can be used to treat problems in the digestive tract, in arthritis and skin conditions," says Pirie. "And you can use ones that you might not initially consider, like hawthorn."

Knowing which plants to use (and which ones to avoid) is something best learned from an expert. When Pirie takes a class on a herb walk they often eat things they find growing, helping people get over any reticence to experiment. "Some of the plant identification books can be confusing, because a drawing is similar to, but not the same as, seeing a plant in its actuality," says Pirie. "I think going along with someone who knows what they're doing and getting a little bit of confidence is a good starting point."

There's often a scientific basis for the folklore which surrounds certain plants. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was originally established in 1670 as a physic garden, where hundreds of herbs were studied for their medicinal properties. Many of these plants are still grown today, and you can find out more about them at an event next month called Plants with a Purpose. Botanics guide Rae Baikie, who leads this tour of the garden, says: "People have used plants throughout time to heal the sick – and to poison their enemies. And they used plants to protect themselves from catastrophes, such as by planting a rowan tree at their gate to keep the witches away."

You may not be worried about evil spirits, but it is fascinating to hear how some superstitions were grounded in reality. Baikie says that during the plagues that ravaged Europe in the 14th and 17th centuries, people wore bags of herbs around their necks for protection. The pouch would have contained rosemary, marjoram, sage, juniper and camphor, which are all now known to have antibacterial properties. Similarly, rosemary was once scattered on the floors of hospital wards, where its antiseptic properties would have been helpful. The properties of lavender are still much appreciated today: "A single drop on your pillow may help you to go to sleep," says Baikie, "and it's also a very useful aid for burns – if you burn your finger on the grill pan or oven, lavender oil helps prevent scarring."

Trees also have their medical uses. Horse chestnut can be used to treat varicose veins; salicin from willow was famously used in the creation of aspirin, and, more recently, the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen was developed from a compound found in the yew.

Then there are the plants that make it into our kitchens. Baikie explains that juniper berries do more than just add flavour to gin: "Juniper stimulates the appetite – that's why gin and tonic is served as an aperitif." And ginger, grown in the glasshouses at the Botanics, not only adds bite to curries and stir-fries, it's good for travel sickness and improving circulation.

So, next time you're buying plants, why not opt for the ones that can help stock your medicine chest as well as look great in your garden. sm

n Rae Baikie's Plants with a Purpose walk takes place on Tuesday 8 July at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Tel: [phone] or visit www.rbge.org.uk to book a place. A series of Introduction to Herbal Medicine evening classes begin at the gardens on 25 September.

n David Pirie's herbal classes are held at the Four Winds Inspiration Centre, Inverleith Park, Edinburgh. Tel: [phone] or visit www.four-winds.org.uk for details. To book a private consultation with Pirie, tel: [phone].