First, take a look at our slide show of 12 healing herbs you can grow and pick some you'd like in your own garden.

Where to buy healing herbs 

Many herbs can be found at your local nursery. But if you're stuck locating any of the rarer plants, try one of these specialty seed ordering services.

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick: Halifax Seed, (902) 454-7456 or (506) 633-2032, halifaxseed.ca

Ontario: Richters Herbs, (905) 640-6677, richters.com

Manitoba: Sage Garden Herbs, (204) 257-2715, herbs.mb.ca

British Columbia: Sunshine Farm, (250) 764-4810, sunshinefarm.net

Planting tip: Most herbs like full sunshine, so be sure to place taller plants to the north or east to prevent them shading the rest of the garden. A moderate to rich soil will help them all along.

Need extra help? We have more great gardening tips to get you started.

Enjoying your herbal harvest 

Once you've grown your herbs, you can harvest the leaves and/or flowers of those that are edible. Use them fresh, dried or even frozen to cook, or to make herbal teas or whip up tasty homemade vinegars. Others can be thrown into a fragrant potpourri. Be sure that you keep a chemical-free garden if you plan to eat or brew your herbs, and always check with your medical practitioner, especially if pregnant or breast-feeding, before ingesting herbs of any kind.

Delicious brews 

Herbal teas can be made with fresh-picked herbs right from the garden, or dry your harvest for comforting cuppas year-round. You can experiment with the proportions, but a good starting point is 1-2 tbsp (15-30 mL) fresh herbs or 1-2 tsp (5-10 mL) dried herbs to 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water. Steep for a few minutes, covered so that any essential oils released by the heat don't evaporate. Sip and savour while surrounded by your beautiful garden.

Fragrant flowers 

Commercial potpourri mixes often contain artificial fragrances, which can cause allergic reactions. Stay chemical-free by making your own natural aromatherapy mixture. 

Here's how:

 

-Pick both leaves and flowers from lavender, sweet woodruff and rosemary plants on a fine day after the dew has burned off. 

-Scrub an orange and shave off the peel; cut peel into slivers. 

-Dry leaves, flower buds and peel, spread out in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place for three or four days. Turn every day. 

 

-Mix together 1 cup (250 mL) each of the dried lavender, woodruff and rosemary. Add the dried orange slivers and a dozen whole cloves. 

-Sew into a sachet or display in a pretty bowl.