Peter Dowdall: How to harness herb power in the garden

Herbs have a long history of playing a valuable role in kitchen and medicine cabinets

Lavender fields forever: The name lavender comes from the Latin word “lavare” meaning “to wash”. File picture

Everything we need comes from the soil and I’m always amazed at the power within. If we stop to think about it, apart from our food, most medicines owe their power to herbs and herbal remedies.

I was reminded of this recently when somebody informed me that ancient Egyptians used lavender as part of the mummification process as it was believed that it cleansed the spirit. Even the name lavender comes from the Latin word “lavare” meaning “to wash” which gives us a hint as to the properties of the plant.