31.3.11

Our Garden: Uses For Aloe And Lavender

Our garden is a sanctuary.  We love planning, working in and enjoying our space.  Most of what we plant and grow is with the intention of using it.  I love to use herbs in cooking and teas.  Over the next couple of weeks I will showcase some of the things we have in our garden and what their medicinal uses and magical  powers are:




























ALOE: Aloe Vera- I don’t remember a time when I didn’t use this plant.  In Toronto we had an indoor plant.  When we lived in the Caribbean it grew wild all over and now in the desert have a plant I purchased from Trader Joe’s four years ago that is thriving with little maintenance, outside year round.  

There are two parts of this plant that can be used.  The inside clear, gel-like central leaf pulp, and the yellow-green juice from the green part of the leaf. The gel is used topically to soothe, heal, and moisturize the skin. It cools the skin, protects it from airborne infections, reduces scarring and speeds cell regeneration.  The yellow part can be scraped from split leaves for first aid treatment of  sunburns, cuts, chapped skin, acne, eczema and Poison Ivy rash. 
In the summer when my plant is at it’s plumpest I snap sections off and store them whole in my freezer.  It can be stored, already scrapped, for short periods of time in a glass jar in the fridge.  
Aloe is also used as a protective houseplant. It guards against evil influences and prevents household accidents. I keep ours in a large pot directly beside our front door.  In Africa aloe is hung over houses and doors to bring good luck and drive away evil. 


LAVENDER: (Lavandula species) This perennial comes in several different species all with small, linear leaves and spikes of fragrant purple or blue flowers.   Aromatic oil glands cover all aerial parts of the plants but are most concentrated in the flowers. The flowers can be used to flavor jams, sweets and stews.  Dried flowers can be used to make potpourri.  You can make flower water to use as a skin toner to treat acne and to speed cell renewal.  Lavender tea treats anxiety, headaches, flatulence, nausea, dizziness, and halitosis. The essential oil which you can purchase online or at a heath food store is used as an antiseptic and painkiller. It can be used to treat insect bites, burns, sore throats and headaches. Lavender can also be added to bath water or foot soak tubs to ease anxiety and produce a calming, sleepy affect.  I used this often when the monkeys were babies.  
Lavender is a traditional ingredient for love spells. Lavender in the home brings peace, joy and healing. You may use it in your home to encourage more: Love, Psychic Awareness, Happiness, Creative Work, Money, Harmony, Peace, Healing. The odor of lavender is said to be conducive to long life.


Do you enjoy using Aloe and Lavender?
What do you grow, to use, in your garden? 

12 comments:

valarie said...

Hi Ren! I love lavender and have so much of it in my garden. I love to make sachets, wands, and soap, some candles too. Love your aloe plants. Very beautiful.

cpcable said...

I love this series! Looking forward to reading more...

Sara said...

I am well overdue for an aloe plant, in my kitchen. Lavender - I love it. I wonder if it will grow up here? Your garden looks pretty. I am just thinking about what to plant in my garden this summer. TO eat: Tomatoes & green beans. To smell and admire: Cosmos, morning glory and bluebells. And a couple cedar trees.

Jess said...

i really want to start an outdoor garden this year. besides herbs, aloe would definitely be a necessary addition.

Diana Mieczan said...

This is a fantastic post and I truly love your garden. I use Lavender a lot in my home and I wish that one day I can have a little herb garden on my own:) Happy Thursday, my dear
Kisses

nunu said...

those are my faves too and i have had them in my california gardens always... ah... can't wait for fun in the garden again!

A Crimson Kiss said...

My mother has an enormous aloe (probably close to 50 lbs) whose babies she gives to friends and family-thank goodness for it when that hot New Jersey sun starts scorching in August!

Phoenix said...

I have a black thumb, alas, so I can't grow much, but I'm extremely pale and get sunburned pretty good at least once every summer, so aloe is definitely my friend! And lavender, oh how I love the smell of lavender....

:)

Andrea @ little buckles said...

We grow lavender and I use it for headaches and also putting under my pillow for good sleep (difficult with a baby!). I'd love an aloe plant but I guess that would need to stay indoors in our climate. Great post!

illustration poetry said...

i used to plan aloe in my garden but one day i found too many plant diseases... :(

i sometimes use aloe to promote hair growth :)

Pat Tillett said...

Very nice! They can be a lot of work, but gardens are so rewarding!

Garth said...

I also put it under my body pillow. Love you post.

Maybe You'll Enjoy These Too...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...