Nature's Pharmacy Garden

Fall 2004, Nature's Pharmacy Garden

Long before people bought medicine or food at a store, they learned to use the wild plants growing all around them. They watched animals to see which plants were good to eat and which plants were poisonous. They experimented and learned which plants could heal people when they were hurt or sick. People passed their knowledge on to their children and grandchildren for generations.

Today, many prescription drugs have plant properties and are based on plant models. The sun-shaped Nature's Pharmacy Garden highlights a handful of the numerous native medicinal plants. Folk wisdom included the following remedies:

Purple Coneflower or Echinacea for colds and other infections; Grey Goldenrod for treating bleeding and digestive disorders; while Spotted Mint for relief of stomach aches and mild fevers; and Hyssop Skullcap was used by Native Americans to treat rabies & menstrual problems long before its adoption by European herbalists.

The Anne Arundel County Stewardship Workgroup and others helped prepare the site.  Zora Lathan designed the garden.  Adams Academy students, Naval Academy Midshipmen, and volunteer friends and members of the CEC planted the garden.

Pictures:

Click on the thumbnail image below for a larger picture and description

Size: 713 square feet

Plant List:

• Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)
• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Hyssop Skullcap (Scutellaria Iitegrifolia)
• Spotted Mint (Monarda punctata)
• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)