Anyone can grow their own herbs and healing gardens, turning herbs into teas, infusions, poultices, syrups or oils.
And there's a wide variety of books, information and courses available on this issue, teaching people how to make simple and wonderful home-made gardens and remedies!
As information on medicinal herbs and plants is widely available, recipes are also very easy to find and exchange.
And in case one wishes to grow herbs at home, these can be easily be planted in small pots on a balcony or in the garden (one doesn't need to have a big garden or to be an expert in gardening, to grow wonderful herbs and medicinal plants).
Although many people live in small city flats or houses with even smaller balconies or gardens, these are more than enough to grow herbs and medicinal plants.
Plants and herbs in general don't need much space to grow! They only need plenty of sunlight, good ground, regular watering and your love.
Respect for the wilderness
Despite the fact that herbs and medicinal plants are easy to grow at home or in the garden, many people still prefer the easy way -- to pick them up directly from the wilderness.
Personally, we don't recommend this practice (only if one has in mind to replant the herb or plant it in a garden or pot at home).
The reason for this relates to the fact, that currently there's an ever increasing interest and demand for herbal remedies, resulting in a direct threat for many wild plants.
Commercial harvesting and wrong practices
Some people collect plants from the wilderness only for commercial purposes, harvesting the fields far too often and harmfully.
Others, needing to rip off only leaves or flowers from a plant, prefer to uproot it completely, destroying the plant entirely.
Therefore, some herbs and plants are becoming very scarce and rare, as demand grows fast and unmercifully.
Endangered plants
The future and survival of many medicinal herbs and plants is presently at risk. There are hundreds of plants endangered worldwide and some right in Europe e.g. Goldenseal, Arnica, Echinacea, Angelica, Buttercup etc.
And because nature is constantly being threatened worldwide (by pollution, defloration, fire, desertification, fertilizers, green-house effect, unscrupulous industries, the action of men etc), its very important to be aware about these issues, creating protective measures to preserve both animals, wild plants, ecosystems -- starting this awareness at home and in schools.
The more educated people are about nature and the need to preserve our planet, the more plants and animals can be saved and protected.
Our interdependence with nature is at risk
Sad enough, our ancient interdependence with nature is presently out of balance, disharmonious and at risk of disappearing.
Reason why, its so important to reconnect to mother earth, rescuing in the process wonderful and ancient fields of human knowledge, like aromatherapy and herbalism.
People also need to get increasingly more aware about the importance of nature in our wellbeing, respecting both plants and animals and our planet.
"There's still something charming about growing our own herbs and planting small medicinal gardens."