HERBS

It is unlikely that there would have been a herb garden like this at Swtan at the turn of the century 1900.

The people who lived here would have grown a few of the herbs alongside the vegetables in their kitchen garden, and would have gathered others from the hedgerows.

The garden is designed to showcase herbs and their traditional uses.

The concept and maintenance is a community project of the local Women’s Institute, Rhydwyn WI. It was created in partnership with Cyfeillion Swtan, Menter Môn and the National Trust.

Much of the herbs grown in the garden were used for medicines, cooking or as scent and dyes.

Here the medicinal herbs are (with a description of some of their use):
Coltsfoot as a remedy for bronchitis or a sore throat
Vervain to relieve stress and nervous tensions
Fever Few to treat indigestion and migraine
Soapwort a soapy lather in water
Borage as a popular reviver, used in drinks and to increase milk supply in breastfeeding mothers
Comfrey a remedy for bronchitis and poultice for wounds, bruises and eczema.
Meadowsweet in a tea to reduce fever, and to treat stomach acidity, flu and rheumatism.
Camomile a tea to calm the nerves
Oregano a tonic to help digestion and used to treat coughs
Valerian as a mild sedative
Boneset as a tonic and stimulant
Elecampane to treat chest complaints
Artemis as an antiseptic and to regulate menstruation.
Mint
Sage an oil for perfume and to clean teeth
Lavender as an antiseptic
Rosemary as a hair rinse
Myrtle as the perfume ‘eau d’onge’
Elder to dye fabrics blue or purple
Marigolds to dye fabrics yellow
Madder to dye fabrics red
Woad to dye fabrics blue
Artemis to dye fabrics yellow
Meadowsweet the roots used to dye fabrics black, and the flowers to dye yellow
Onion skins used to dye yellow or green.
Bay for flavouring and to increase appetite
Angelica to flavour wine and to be cooked like rhubarb
Lovage to improve the taste of savoury dishes, roots cooked as a vegetable
Fennel to flavour fish dishes
Oregano to flavour meat dishes, salads and to make tea and beer
Coriander for salads and as bitter Passover herb
Parsley as a garnish
Samphire to improve fish dishes
Sorrel in a soup
Thyme in medicinal tea