Medicinal Garden Kit: What You Actually Get
If you are looking at a medicinal garden kit, the useful question is not whether it is good - it is whether the herbs inside will grow where you live, and whether you will actually use them.
What is usually in the kit
| Herb | Traditionally used for | Perennial? |
|---|---|---|
| Chamomile | Sleep, digestion | Self-seeds |
| Calendula | Skin, as an oil or salve | Self-seeds |
| Echinacea | Colds | Yes (slow) |
| Lavender | Wind-down, drying | Yes |
| Lemon balm | Anxiety, sleep | Yes (spreads) |
| Marshmallow | Dry coughs | Yes (tall) |
| Feverfew | Headaches | Self-seeds |
| Yarrow | Traditional wound herb | Yes |
| Purple coneflower | Ornamental and medicinal | Yes |
There is a fuller description of each, including spacing and use, in the nine medicinal garden plants worth growing.
How much space it needs
- A single bed of about 1m x 2m, or 8-10 medium pots
- Tall species (marshmallow reaches 1.5m) belong at the back or in a permanent spot
- Lemon balm and mint must go in pots sunk to the rim, or they take the whole bed
- Spacing: echinacea and marshmallow 45-60cm; chamomile and feverfew 20cm
If you are planning the bed from scratch, the notes in medicinal garden layout cover sun, grouping and leaving room to dry the harvest.
Sun and soil
- Most of these want 6+ hours of sun
- Thyme, sage and lavender prefer poorer, drier soil than vegetables - do not over-feed them
- Drainage matters more than richness for the Mediterranean herbs
What the guide usually covers
- Sowing and spacing per species
- When to harvest each part (flowers at full open, leaves before flowering)
- Drying and storage - the part most beginner books skip
- Traditional preparation: teas, cold infusions, oils and syrups
If drying is the part you are unsure about, how to dry herbs at home has the temperatures, times per herb, and how to tell when they are properly dry.
Who should skip it
- Anyone with no outdoor space and no windowsill - these are not houseplants
- Anyone who only wants culinary herbs - ordinary basil, parsley and thyme seed costs a fraction
- Anyone who wants a harvest this month - most of these take a full season
What to check before buying
- Seed quantity and sow-by date - viability is the biggest variable
- Whether the guide covers drying and storage, not just planting
- Whether the species suit your climate - lavender dislikes wet cold more than cold itself
For the caveats in more detail, including germination and climate, see the full review.
Common questions
What is in a medicinal garden kit?
Usually chamomile, calendula, echinacea, lavender, lemon balm, marshmallow, feverfew, yarrow and purple coneflower, plus a planting and use guide.
How much space does a medicinal garden kit need?
About a 1m x 2m bed, or 8-10 medium pots. Tall species like marshmallow need a permanent spot at the back.
Are the herbs in a medicinal garden kit perennial?
Most are. Chamomile, calendula and feverfew also self-seed, so the bed fills out on its own after year one.
When should you sow medicinal herb seed?
Most in spring once the soil warms. Chamomile and calendula can be sown successionally through summer.
The kit itself: Medicinal Garden Kit (seed plus planting and use guide).
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