For many years, I have had a dream of making a herbal garden with plants used in traditional medicine
I am so lucky that the place where I live, Kamala Beach Estate in Kamala, Phuket, already have the most beautiful tropical garden.
It is not a “healing garden” or a medical herbs garden, but it is a very well kept tropical garden. The garden is maintained by a team of dedicated professional gardeners who all love the garden they have cared for, for many years.
It is not my intention to become a herbalist or make a site about alternative herbal medicine or pretend to be a natural medicine doctor. I can not put enough emphasis on that, If you are sick go to the doctor.
And even if it says on this site that a particular plant or remedy has healing properties, then you still have to check with a doctor or a skilled herbalist.
I say so because even I believe in and trust herbal medicine, I use it myself, but I am not a skilled herbalist, and will not pretend to be. I go to an experienced/educated Chinese herbalist every time I have a problem. I can recommend one excellent one in Chiang Mai China Town go to the article about him. Click here…
Herbal medicines have been in use since the beginning of time. The Western world has virtually gone completely away from traditional medicine, as modern medicine has taken over. Western doctors are much more comfortable with giving a pill than to use natural herbs.
Their training rely on modern medicine and products produced by the big pharmaceutical companies, and for them, natural remedies are a total no go, even most of their drug initially have been developed from nature. Why it is so… is another story.
Nowadays traditional/herbal medicine is becoming more and more popular in the western world, and for some, it has become almost “religion.” I see a lot of the “alternative” medicine sites on the net are arguing about who is and what website is the best.
What I want to make is a garden with plants believed to have healing properties.
I will start with the plants there have been and still is used in Thai traditional medicine (TTM). I will describe the herbs and the healing properties they are believed to have according to Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM).
Many Thais I have met have a vast knowledge about herbalism. Thailand is one of the only countries I know of, where the government sponsors special herbal clinics and schools.
Furthermore, TTM uses food as “medicine” and have done so for centuries. Many Thai food dishes are used either as prevention or as a cure for certain illnesses.
For example, in TTM is the spicy soup Tum Yum Gung a remedy for common cold and intestinal problems. The reason for this is because of the main ingredients in this soup is chili, kaffir lime leaves, garlic and galangal which is all herbs there are known for their antibacterial and decongestant properties.
In Thailand there is an excellent understanding of traditional herbal medicines and that this is widespread makes it much more logical for me to make my herbal garden here.
I will also tell about the healing properties of the various plants I find through my studies. I will only use information I have been able to confirm through several sources. For each article, I will indicate from where I have my data.
I will once more stress the fact that it is not my intention to make herbal medicine site, I am not a herbalist nor a doctor, I only want to share how I make my tropical herbal garden. If you are feeling sick go to the doctor 🙂