With the onset of winter we need to turn our minds to ways of increasing our immunity to, or ways to treat coughs and colds.
There are many different ways to bring about a totally natural herbal relief to ease the uncomfortable symptoms of a cold and, if these remedies are taken or used regularly throughout the winter months it is possible to build up a certain level of immunity.
Good quality dried herbs such as Purple Sage, Hyssop, Lemon Thyme, Ground ivy and Elecampane are a sound base to make herbal remedies for sore throats, common cold, catarrh and the cough that often follows a cold.
After you have tried these remedies for yourself and seen their effectiveness you may also like to consider growing your own through the summer, in pots on your patio or, if space allows, in a sunny corner of your garden.
It is also possible to grow herbs indoors in a sunny room or, if you are lucky enough to have a conservatory this would be ideal.
The pots make an extremely attractive display and as well as providing a relaxing pastime through the summer they will supply all the ingredients you will need to make your own natural cough and cold remedies through the winter months.
The herbs can be grown in a single pot to make an effective display, and the best sized pot to use, if you intend to follow this method, would be approximately 20” diameter and about 20” deep.
To start your pot of herbs you will need the following:-
One Purple Sage, one Hyssop and three Lemon Thymes. These can be bought from your local garden centre. You will also need two Elecampane plants and 2 Ground Ivy plants. These will be available from any herb specialist.
To plant your pot of herbs to treat coughs and colds you should arrange your pot with the Elecampane at the rear as this plant will be quite tall. The root of this herb has a strong aroma which, when breathed in, will help to clear a congested chest.
Purple (or red) Sage, Lemon Thyme and Hyssop can be planted round the rim of the pot and the ground ivy should be planted front and centre as this will, as it grows, trail down from the top of the pot. Just an interesting fact, for information, Ground Ivy used to be used to flavour ale.
After your first year of growing, you can harvest your herbs and dry in paper bags hanging in a sunny window. When the leaves or flowers are crisp you can collect and store in a dark glass airtight storage jar to use when required.
To make a gargle to ease a sore throat you should make a strong tea with a handful of sage leaves. Add a teaspoon of honey, allow to cool and then gargle with this liquid often to bring relief.
To make a basic cough syrup you should heat 12 oz of sugar in 17fl oz of water until dissolved. Add two chopped Elecampane roots and heat gently. When you can smell menthol add a handful of hyssop leaves. Simmer for another couple of minutes and then leave to cool.
Strain the liquid into an airtight bottle for storage.
