Immunity Building Plants
Can your garden help build your immunity? Sunshine is certainly good for your vitamin D, which contributes, but what about the foods we eat that we can grow in our own backyards? There is an ancient proverb that states “how can a man grow ill who has sage in his garden?” such is the long list of ailments it is supposed to cure. Are herbs useful for more than adding flavour to food? What are great herbal and traditional remedies? Our top six selections are:
- Sage – studies have shown on animals that sage, and its cousins oregano and rosemary, have immune-modulatory properties. Sage also transform the taste of poultry from paltry to perfect, and lamb is lifted to sublime with oregano and rosemary. All make wonderful herb teas and are sage is great pan fried in butter and tossed through pasta. It’s a win win!
- Citrus – the go to vitamin C plants, and perfect for growing in backyards, balconies and pots. The fruit is of lemons, oranges, limes and grapefruit are all high in vitamin C…including our own Australian native finger limes. Interestingly, the fruit and leaves of Kaffir limes have been used as a traditional immune system booster in Asia, where it is common in flavouring Thai food and curries. You can also add a few leaves to your water to let it lightly favour your tipple. We sell citrus in a range of sizes, including dwarf and multi graft plants.
- Aloe - great for sunburn and skin allergies, but the jury is out when it comes to drinking the stuff. Some studies indicate it could be useful, but the dosage is not reliable and it can also be harmful if overdone. For now, stick to external use only perhaps. We have Aloe in a range of sizes, and it’s easy to grow in any well drained situation, in ground or in pots.
- Ginger – has many medicinal properties and is great for a range of issues, including boosting your immunity. Grate it into curries, slice it into teas, add it to your drinking water and blend it into your juices. Its cousin turmeric is also a proven winner. We have both at Eden available for sale as plants, and once you have them growing, you’ll always be able to access fresh roots.
- Garlic – this really is the quintessential cure all. It’s also the time to plant garlic in NSW and Qld. You can plant individual cloves of garlic into well dug over and raked soil, planting them around 15cm apart. Garlic chives and chives are great antiseptic too, whilst society garlic (Tulbaghia) is used as a traditional medicine in South Africa to treat a range of conditions, including colds and asthma.
- Spinach – Popeye was onto something. It can be sown from seed or grown as a seedlings - we stock both normally. It’s packed with antioxidants, rich in vitamin C, and along with Kale and silverbeet, is a winner. Grow them in pots or plots, in full sun.
