UNUSUAL GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 23816, 21 February 1941, Page 10

UNUSUAL GARDEN

HERBS INSTEAD OF FLOWERS SOUTH DUNEDIN MAN’S ENTERPRISE HEALTH GROWING FREELY | Gardening is a matter of individual ; taste; some concentrate on flowers, : some on vegetables, while others grow j an assortment of botli without any discrimination. Then there are gardeners who specialise in one or a few plants, devoting the whole of their time to these. Tn this category may he placed Mr John Carter, of South Dunedin, but he can hardly bo said to possess any kinship with other specialists in that he could meet in discussion with them on common ground. Indeed, Mr Carter’s treasured plants might be rather abruptly disposed of ns weed's by specialists _in dahlias, chrysanthemums, or like flowers, Mr Carter has not a large garden, but every corner of it is occupied. Instead of antirrhinums, primroses, or other well-known blooms one finds luxuriant growths such as burdock, camomile, cranesbill, angelica, tansey, and so on. Mr Carter specialises in medicinal herbs, purely as a hobby, although it 1 is a'hobby which keeps him in remarkably good health, for his medicines conn' j from his own garden. 18 VARIETIES IN NEW ZEALAND. Mr Carter, who is an Englishman by ; birth, has been steeped in the lore of herbs from his childhood, for his father was a prominent professional botanistherbalist. Tn his younger days in Eng- • land Mr Carter made pills, plasters, and ointments from herbs, and sold all his ■ preparations readily. He has not pursued tin’s practice since he came to Hew j Zealand, although he has closely investigated the country’s limited indigenous medicinal herbs. Tfe is a staunch believer in the curative powers of all ■ herbs, claiming they offer Nature’s true i way to health, and his own private nursery has provided much relief to sufferers from various ailments to whom 1 he hns given the dried leaves, stems, or ■ flowers which contain the essential I health-giving properties. Tn England Mr Carter had no fewer than 72 herbs which lie could utilise for various purposes, Thorough investigation throughout New Zealand has re- ' vealedl tn him only IS true medicinal herbs. Of course, the term herb is applied to practically every plant the stem of which, from the absence of woody tissue, dies to the ground an- ■ finally, and to many which are classified as biennials or perennials, hut the majority of such have no curative virtues whatever. Mr Carter is not interested in this latter typo of herb, consequently his garden consists of true medicinal herbs only, most of which are found in Now Zealand, although several others have been imported. Under this heading comes lungwort, particularly useful in cases of epilepsy, nervousness, etc., which has been brought out from Spain, I'll addition to the 18 varieties of medicinal herbs there are other Now Zealand plants which have curative qualities, and may, therefore, be said to be herbal in nature. Manuka and the everyday broom provide an extract of value to the kidneys ; rata can relieve rheumatism; the koromiko is useful as a palliative in instances of dysentery, while the different gums, as is well known, are of service in oases of colds. Even the much-abused ragwort can he of benefit in_ that a moderately soothing skin lotion may be derived from boiling dried plants. j DIVERSITY OF CURES. j Mr Carter believes he is the only man ] in Dunedin who grows herbs in this manner; and there are few. in New Zealand. He understands his nearest fellow lives at St. Martin’s, in Christ- | church, but the Christchurch man grows them for sale to manufacturing herbalists. Mr Carter is himself considering going further into the matter, for with overseas sources, principally Spain, If ranee, and Northern Europe, cut off, local manufacturers are being forced to look for growers nearer home. This little garden is in itself quite an important “ chemist’s shop,” as the mention of a few of Mr Carter’s herbs and their properties will reveal. Angelica provides an excellent general tonic; tansey is beneficial in cases of kidney troubles; comfrey root for lung anil chest complaints; goldon-rod for the liver and bile; pellitory-on-the-wall tor dropsy; cranesbill for blood purification; house-leek for skin troubles, and so on. He has a genuine herbaceous border of camomile, the flowers of which provide an extract exceedinjlf useful for indigestion. Ho has also wormwood, and he told the ‘ Star ’ that he knew of at least one case in ‘ which this had cured a woman of rabies after she had been bitten by a mad dog. The one notable exception in Mr Carter’s garden of herbs is yarrow, which is extremely valuable as a deterrent to colds and their complications, but this grows so plentifully about Dunedin that lie can obtain as much as he wants without taking up precious space in his garden. STRANGE INFLUENCE OF THE STARS. One would hardly imagine that herbs would in any way be influenced by the stars, but it remains a fact, according _to Mr Carter, that when certain planets are in the ascendancy particular herbs are at the height of their curative powers. Picked at any other time the herbs will be of some value, but when districts come under the influence of a particular planet the herb whose “ destiny ” is con- • trolled by that planet will be at its best. Those surprising facts, said M.r Carter, were not learnt recently; they wore known to all herbalists long before doctors came into being. As far back as 101(3 an Elizabethan herbalist named Culpepper published an almanac detailing the merits of all herbs and indicating when, according to the stars, their properties would be at their height.