When growing a herbal garden for medical use, there are specific herbs which harbor a cure for a wide variety of ailments and therefore are necessary to include when beginning a herbal medical garden.

Apart from the ten listed there are many more that are beneficial and easy to grow. These include St John's wort, Peppermint and Marjoram, and aside from their medical qualities they also provide an attractive addition to the garden and a pleasant aroma.

As mentioned herbs are easy to grow and maintain, requiring little care. They can be planted straight in the ground or in pots or containers. When planting a herbal garden for medical usage, there are approximately 10 suggested herbs which are the most commonly used for medical ailments and these can be used as a basis for a garden these are:
The propagation of herbs can take place in several different ways, including buying the plants as seedlings, division of a grown plants root, and layering the plant to encourage growth of more roots.

The following two propagation procedures are the simplest ways to grow your plants.

· Plant during spring as this is the best time of year and will give the highest quality results, with less chance of frosts or cold spells.

· It is suggested that the seeds be planted into containers first, therefore it will be easier to move the young plants in and out of sunlight or cold if need be.

· To begin sprinkle seeds into a container full of soil, preferable bagged potting mix that contains nutrients needed for young seedlings. Then cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil on top, compress lightly and dampen with water.

· Make sure you keep soil constantly moist and shelter the plants from the harsh weather, when the plants are large enough, 10 - 15 cm in height, they can be successfully transferred into your garden.

· Take the cuttings in spring, making a clean cut of a shoot about 10cm in length.

· To kick-start the root formation, first dip in rooting formation powder (Available from a nursery). Then place in soil, preferably in a container. Again firm the soil around the cutting and keep moist at all times.

· Protect the plant by creating a makeshift greenhouse by covering with clear plastic.

· Cuttings can be transplanted when new growth begins to show.

These two types of propagation are the most common and easiest ways to grow your herbs. Be patient though, as it does take time. But in the end the results will be worth the effort.

Obviously fresh herbs are not available all year round, therefore it is necessary to harvest and dry your fresh herbs and store to be used when needed.
For this there are several different ways which can be used which will be described further on.
Some tips to remember is that the herbs should be collected when they are dry from
any moisture such as rain or dew. Pick when the plant is at it's peak maturity, as this is when the medical value is at it's highest.
And remember to always store your herbs in a dark, air tight container.

There are several different ways in which herbs can be taken to achieve the desired result and to aid certain problems. Either dried or fresh herbs may be used, although fresh herbs are more beneficial they are not available all year round and the quantity for a remedy should be doubled when using dried herbs.
There are several different ways which herbs can be take, sometimes this depends upon the herbs, the parts of the herbs which are being used or personal preference.

One of the most popular and easiest ways to take herbs is by simply drinking them, and herbal teas are also quite easy to make.

Fresh or dried herbs can both be used.

Steps:
· Place dried herbs into a teapot or cup and fill with boiling water.
· Cover and leave to 'infuse' for approximately 10 minutes.
· Strain and add honey or sugar for taste.

This method is basically the same process as an infusion but used for hard parts of the herbs such as the bark or roots. By heating the material constantly until the active ingredients has been omitted. It is suggested that a fresh decoction is made every day.

Steps:
· Place fresh or dried herbs into a pot and add approximately 1 litre of cold water.
· Allow to boil, then simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
· Strain into a jug, then cover.

A syrup is made by mixing a herbal infusion with honey.
The main purpose of a syrup is to disguise any foul tasting herbs, honey also helps preserve the herbs effectiveness.

Steps:
· Make an infusion / decoction and strain into a jug, then transfer into a pot.
· Add honey and simmer until a syrup consistency.
· Allow to cool and store in a dark glass container.

These are made by combining herbs and alcohol, to enable the tonic to be stored for a period of time. A perfect alcohol is vodka.

Steps:
· Place herbs in a large airtight container and cover with one part alcohol three parts water. Keep for 2 weeks.
· Push mixture through a mesh piece of material and strain through into a dark container.
· This will keep for up to two years.

Useful plant essence can be extracted to create the basis for massage oils, ointments and creams. The 'hot' infused way is best for herbs with alot of foliage. They last for up to one year.

Steps:
· Put herbs and half a litre of oil in a pot and boil for approximately three hours.
· Push mixture through a mesh.
· Store the remaining liquid in a dark bottle.

This method is different and substantially longer that 'hot infused'. This involves the herbs being tightly packed into a jar and covered with oil for several weeks.

Steps:
· Tightly pack herbs in a jar and cover with oil. Replace lid and leave in a sunny position for approximately three weeks.
· Pour mixture into mesh material and squeeze through any liquid.
· Repeating the same procedure with the same oil, place new herbs in the infused oil and leave for two weeks.
· Store for further use.

These are made by mixing a few drops of essential oils with a carrier oil such as Sweet Almond, Sunflower etc. It is important only to make a small amount at a time as the essential oils don't last long.

Steps:
· Add a few drops of essential oil to about 45ml of carrier oil.
· Transfer into a storage bottle
· Shake mixture.

Ailments such as blocked nose, sinusitis, or asthma can be assisted greatly by inhalations with essential oils.

Steps:
· Add a few drops of essential oil to a bowl of boiling water.
· Drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam for 10 minutes.

Some common complaints can be assisted greatly by herbal remedies. Although they are not always successful and the patient may need to consult their doctor if the ailment does not subside.

Here are some common ailments and the herbs used to treat them, which can be made into herbal teas, infusions, syrups or ointments.