APRIL 6, 2012 AN HERBAL GARDEN TAKES NO THYME

"Faeries, come take me out of this dull world, For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame.~William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894

As a child or the child with the adult, did you ever want to live out a dream or fantasy? Before Harry Potter I wanted to fly like Peter Pan to Never Neverland. There was a old cartoon called Hoppity Goes to Town about a grasshopper. It was not as colorful as Peter Pan. I loved characters within a garden- insects, flowers, ladybugs, and even bees. Tinker Bell and her fairies mesmerized me.

A fairy (also faery, faerie, fay, fae; euphemistically wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair folk, etc.) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.

Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term fairy offers a variety of definitions. Sometimes the term describes any magical creature, including goblins or gnomes; at other times, the term only describes a specific type of more ethereal creature.

There are some great historical herbal stories in Culpepper and Sauer's descriptions. Patients often say to me, "I do not have time for a hobby." We all have time for a hobby if we schedule it. Hobbies can vary, but preparing your garden is a great hobby. For me, planting the Herbal Garden is a great hobby.

The connection of fairies to a particular herb dates back to 1600. Traditionally, any place where thyme (thymus vulgaris) grows wild is reputedly blessed by the fairies. No garden should be without thyme.

If you are going to plant an herb garden you ought to know about the herbs in your garden. "It kills worms in the belly...it purges the body of phlegm.. and takes away painness and hardness of the spleen. It is excellent for those that are troubled with the gout. It eases the pains in the loins and hips." This was written by the Nicholas Culpeper, who died at an early age of 38. A visionary healer and my hero, he left many books (his wife, Alice stated 79 books), but two in particular The English Physician (1652) and The Complete Herball (1653) which to this day are continually in print since the 17th century.

Thyme is a member of the mint family and should be in your garden along with other Lamiaceae such as Lemon Balm, Mint, and Peppermint. Thyme is used in cooking It is chopped and used for stuffing for poultry or lamb. You cannot mistake thyme in the garden. In Ancient times, the Greeks burned thyme in their temples. Thyme honey is one of the finest available but difficult to get.

The volatile oil in thyme, thymol is present in Listerine. It is an excellent anti bacterial. It is said that a pillow stuffed with thyme dispels nightmares and assists with peaceful sleep. Maybe this is why the fairies bless the wild thyme. In college I used to give them to one of my roommates for heavy hangovers. Also great for a cold.

I am not the only one who writes about time. I received an email from a dear individual sharing that even the London Telegraph on March 28, 2012 had an article that Thyme beats modern creams in curbing acne. This is probably due to the thymol. Thyme, with myrrh and marigold were studied to be effective against the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes. Thyme was the most effective. It worked better than benzoyl peroxide. So why not use your time with thyme?

Until tomorrow...