HAWLEY, PA — Gudrun Feigl, owner of Mount Pleasant Herbary in Honesdale, gave a talk to the Country Gardeners (TCG) on October 2 about herbal gardening. She discussed herbs blended for teas, scents and medicinal usage. 

Feigl grew up in Germany and moved to the United States 23 years ago. She found that she missed the wide variety of herbal tea blends she could choose from in Germany, so she began growing her own herbal garden. She started a small business, selling herbal products in farmers markets and art shows. In 2016 she opened a small shop, and a year ago moved to a bigger location. She makes many of the products herself, including soaps, salves, tea blends, lip balm and bath bombs, using only essential oils. Many of the herbs and herb products mentioned below are available in her shop.

Feigl brought to the meting herbs from her garden that she considered to be highly beneficial. She emphasized that herbs are our friends, offering significant contributions to our well-being.

The perennials she discussed were mint, lemon balm, raspberry leaves, sage, echinacea and yarrow. Mint can be dried and used to make tea that can help with digestion and headaches. A cup of lemon balm tea can help with sleep, nervousness and anxiety. Tea with raspberry leaves is beneficial for women who have given birth or during menopause. Sage is known for cooking, but a cup of sage tea can be very soothing for a sore throat. Sage is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, she said. According to Feigl, most herbs are anti-inflammatory. Echinacea roots can improve your immune system; a tincture can shorten a cold or flu and prevent sickness. Yarrow is a native American herb with leaves and flowers that can help with fevers and stop bleeding.

Weeds can be beneficial too. Stinging nettle has many benefits for healthy bones. One cup of dried nettle tea leaves has 500 mg of calcium, vitamin K and trace minerals, she said. It can also help with tiredness and arthritis. Feigl recommended a tea blend called Summer Breeze that uses stinging nettle as its base. Dandelion roots, leaves and flowers can make a tea, tonic or tincture. Although the weed has a bitter taste, it is beneficial for the liver, good for the blood and helps with digestion. You can also use the leaves in a salad. 

Broadleaf and narrowleaf plantain (often found in lawns) is good for bee stings or bug bites. You can take a leaf and rub the area with it to soothe the itchiness. Mullein flowers and leaves can be used to make a tea to help with a cold or flu to help breathe and open airways and lungs. Mullein should be used in a teabag due to fine hairs that could get stuck in the throat.

Annual herbs with beneficial effects on health are catnip, calendula, lemon verbena and lemon grass. Catnip tea can help with sleep. Calendula has great benefits for the skin and in healing cuts, scrapes and scars, Feigl said. Also, if used in tea, it is good for digestion. 

Before taking herbs internally for a long period of time, Feigl said to do your homework and check with your doctor first. One cup of tea won’t harm you, but long-term use might have an impact if you are on medication, take blood thinners or have high or low blood pressure. Comfrey, in particular, an herb known to help heal bones, can affect your liver.

To dry herbs, one method is to bundle them and hang them upside down. Feigl advised putting a paper bag underneath so that when they dry out, they fall into the bag. If the weather is sunny and dry, the herbs will dry within five days. Before you store them, they should be very dry so that they crumble to the touch. The dried herbs can be stored in a jar in a dark place, not exposed to sunlight, because they will lose their potency. A car, attic or shed are good places to dry herbs. 

Some herbs have been around for thousands of years. One of these is tulsi, or holy basil; a tea or tincture could help with anxiety, sleep and digestion. There are even herbs that can help you remember your dreams, such as mugwort. According to Feigl, deer-resistant herbs include mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, sage, lemon grass, tulsi, bee balm, catnip, lavender and eucalyptus.

Mount Pleasant Herbary gift shop and café is located at 1139 Main St. in Honesdale. To learn more, go to www.mountpleasantherbary.com or call 570/229-6535.

The next Country Gardeners presentation will be about organic garlic cultivation. It will be held on Thursday, November 6 at 1 p.m. at the Brookfield Environmental Learning Center, 126 Lamberton Lane in Hawley. The speaker will be Sandy Kirwan, TCG member.