Rue's Garden Herbals

Well, I went to the gym yesterday. After walking uphill to Wild Animal Park and being exhausted I decided I needed to get some exercise. I almost never go to the gym. It costs $25 a month and my husband says that going once every two months costs us $50 a visit. The last time I went my sister called me while I was in the parking lot and asked where I was. I told her I was at the gym. Her response? "Not the gym! You? The real gym? Are you seeing somebody named Jim?" I will show them all and be healthy enough to live forever.

As I was planning my garden today I started to think about feverfew. One thing that has done very well with almost no attention is the feverfew. It reseeds itself so I now have three times as much as I started with. It's a pretty plant with little flowers that have a yellow center with white petals. I think the flowers look a little like chamomile. Feverfew is good for migraines and arthritis pain. It can be drunk as a tea or the leaves can be eaten. I've heard the leaves are bitter and it was suggested to put honey on them. (As I was writing this I decided to go out and pick a leaf to taste for myself and it is bitter. It also tastes kind of green, whatever that means.) It likes sun but can live with some shade. I wouldn't put it in the full sun where I live because it regularly gets into the upper 90's here but certainly a fair amount of sun works. Feverfew is susceptible to aphids and root rot when the soil is not well drained. Pick it in the morning as soon as it's dry. It is so charming that I would plant it in my garden just for show. It's one of my favorites.