I’d like to discuss folk remedies that we use from the garden. Over the weekend I wrote about the cautions of poison ivy, and one reader wrote in about a folk remedy they used to combat poison ivy exposure:

“Touch-me-not, or Jewel Weed, is a plant that I have used many times to combat poison ivy exposure. Jewel Weed grows in NC, and is especially abundant in the mountains. The best way to use it is to grab a handful of leaves, chew them up a little bit, and then apply the leaves directly to the exposed area. Spread it around and just let it sit on your skin for a while. Jewel Weed also helps to control itching from stinging nettle. It's a folk remedy, for sure, and like many folk remedies, it actually works. For more about Jewel Weed, go here:  http://ipm.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/ipaca.htm.”

Did you know you could plant lavendar around your deck to keep away mosquitoes, or that marigolds around your veggie garden will help keep aphids out? Or that you could use banana peel for warts or coffee for asthma? How about Vicks for toenail fungus? I found a couple of sites online that cover medicinal herbs and folk remedies:

• The People's Pharmacy with Joe and Terry Graedon
• eMedicinal
• Folk Remedies: What’s Ailing You
• Earth Clinic Folk Remedies and Holistic Cures
  

+  What other folk remedies do you know of from the garden?
+  Where do you get your plants?