The Horse Remedy garden

The Horse Remedy Garden

At Horse Remedy, we like to take care of ourselves, and take care of others. That's why we want to take advantage of this period of confinement to communicate our love of the earth and its resources, as well as share our knowledge and, why not, discover a gardener's soul. We offer you this small collection of medicinal plants recognized for their properties and which we use on a daily basis. So you too can cultivate your own little corner of paradise.

1. Thyme (Thymus)
Thyme needs sun and grows wild in the arid, rocky soils of the Mediterranean.

It can be propagated by sowing, root division (in spring), layering or cuttings (in summer). Each spring, the plant can be cut in half to encourage the emergence of new shoots.

To grow in pots, use porous soil. Thyme hates humidity, so place it in an elevated spot to allow water to drain away. Prune after flowering.

It is advisable to renew the plants every three years or so to prevent the stem from becoming too woody and the leaves from losing their taste.

2. Mint (Mentha)
Mint likes well-moistened soil, preferably in part-shade (although it can be easily acclimatized anywhere else).

It tolerates frequent pruning and removal. In fact, it can sometimes be invasive in the garden. To prevent it from conquering the garden with its runners, all you need to do is delimit its area of proliferation, either by burying it directly in a pot, or by sinking a rot-proof, rigid element such as slate or brick into the ground to separate it from the rest of the garden.

3. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
A condiment and medicinal plant with multiple virtues, fenugreek is a member of the protein legume family, with recognized melliferous virtues due in particular to its strong, musky scent, which some people go so far as to compare to the smell of a goat! It flowers from April to July. By consuming soil nitrogen, it requires no fertilizer. Fenugreek grows easily in lawns or fallow land: fairly drought-tolerant, it particularly appreciates a sunny spot and soil that's not too heavy and loamy.

Ideally planted in autumn, just after the seeds have set. You can also sow the soggy seeds directly in the substrate in mid-to-late spring, once the winter frosts have passed.

4. Bear's garlic (Allium ursinum)
This wild version of garlic multiplies easily in cool, shady spots. It can easily be naturalized in our gardens, for example under trees. It has many uses in the kitchen garden, both medicinal and culinary: an ancient plant used by the Celts and Germans, it is now regaining its letters of nobility.

This plant thrives in damp, shady spots and humus-rich soil. It can be found in carpets in certain woods. Be careful, however, not to confuse it with the many poisonous species that resemble it.

5. Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

This shrub, whose virtues are so many and whose fruit so recognizable, blooms from May to October.

For planting, choose a shady to semi-shady spot, in light, fresh, rich soil. Preferably between November and March.

The succulent berries for which it is renowned are harvested between late June and October. It can be planted as a free-standing hedge, or for the more meticulous among us, fanned out on wires stretched over two levels at +- 50 cm from the ground and 1 m above.

6. Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)
Native to Northern Europe and Asia, this shrub, like the raspberry, likes to be planted in rich soil and in a shady spot. Growing to a height of 1.50 m, it is fairly hardy (cold-resistant) and is best planted in autumn. It multiplies naturally by layering, but can also be cut in autumn.

Blackcurrant is very rich in vitamin C; it also contains a lot of fiber, making it very easy to digest. It can be used to make liqueurs, syrups, juices, sorbets, coulis or jams, at your convenience.

7. Nettle (Urtica)

A ruderal plant if ever there was one, nettle is nonetheless a real treasure! Whether used in phytotherapy, as a purin or in cooking, nettle is also an excellent bioindicator of your soil: it thrives in the rich, damp soils of temperate regions (in forests, along riverbanks, etc.). It is a sign of high levels of iron and organic matter in the soil. Rich in nutrients, nettle is a readily available resource. And guess what? There's even a technique for picking it without stinging yourself: "just" grab it from underneath.

8. Dandelion (Taraxacum)
Perennial, full-sun or part-shade plants with fleshy roots that penetrate deep into the soil to a depth of over 50 cm, enabling them to withstand the intense frosts of cold regions.

Did you know? While its name refers to the plant's diuretic properties (bedwetting, si....), the common dandelion is also known as dent-de-lion, due to the curved shape of its leaves.

This name is also used in other languages: English: Dandelion and Italian: dente di leone.

9. Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
When it comes to Horsetail, care must be taken! It's important to differentiate between horsetail (the species we're interested in) and its cousin, marsh horsetail, which is highly toxic! And unluckily, marsh horsetail is more frequently encountered. In addition to their different biotopes, as their respective names indicate, to distinguish them, we look at the stems: if the leaves and spikes grow at the same time, it's marsh horsetail. Conversely, field horsetail begins with stems bearing only ears. These are then replaced by leafy stems. Unfortunately, in the early stages of growth, horsetail does not bear ears.

There are other ways of distinguishing between them, but they require more detail than the concise nature of this guide allows. If you have the slightest doubt, don't pick it.

Did you know? Horsetail was once attached to horses' tails to enhance their fly repellent action. Other names for horsetail include "horse tail", "cat tail" and "fox tail".

10. lanceolate plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

This "weed" is entirely edible. The young leaves are good raw, while the more mature ones are best eaten cooked. They are common in our regions and measure around 30cm. Opportunistic, they grow in a wide variety of exposures and soils.

Did you know?

The nickname "5-stitched herb" comes from several legends surrounding the origin of this plant. One of them is that a world-rich lord promised to marry the girl who could make him the prettiest lace. To make sure there were no tricks, it had to be sewn in front of him.

All the girls in the kingdom grabbed their needles and made their way to the castle. All but one: a young girl madly in love with the Lord was crying her eyes out because she couldn't sew. Wandering through the countryside feeling sorry for herself, she came across a goblin who gave her a needle and told her to go to the Lord. "You will ask him for 5 strands of grass, which you will sew together as firmly as you would imagine sewing your heart to his". She complied. The Lord, captivated by both the girl's beauty and her sewing, chose her and planted this magnificent seam, which was reproduced throughout the Kingdom.

11. Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata)

A natural presence in overgrown fields, this small tree with its simple beauty will brighten up your garden with its spring blooms.

It is very common in hedges in the European countryside, flowering in May. Not very selective in terms of soil and exposure, it thrives in a wide variety of environments. Although its branches have particularly sharp thorns, they are much appreciated by birds for their fruit.

12. Mallow (Malva moschata)

Part of the large Malvaceae family, along with its cousins hibiscus and hollyhock, with which it shares a certain resemblance, mallow is one of those plants that tolerates poor soil and resists drought well.

Blossoming from June to September, the flowers are edible. Its fruits are called fromageons (after their round, cheesy shape) and have a taste similar to hazelnuts. Be sure to leave a few fruits on the plant, as these are the seeds responsible for its survival.

13. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Growing in damp places, on riverbanks and ditches bordering meadows, it is an excellent melliferous plant.

In addition to the many pollinators it attracts, it's a particular favorite with pretty golden spiders. Its other name, False Spirea, inspired the name of an extremely popular medicine. Did you recognize it? Very popular in cooking and phytotherapy, it is said to have over 40 uses.

14. Bedstraw (Galium aparine)

Better known by its gentle name of "Lady's bedstraw", this weed has many virtues worth knowing about.

It thrives in moist, nitrate-rich clay soils, and is often found in the same biotope as nettles. An indicator of the eutrophication of an environment, it is one of the ruderal plants easily found on top of other plants that it likes to cover. The well-known stickiness of the plant, and more particularly of its fruits, is a major factor in its dispersal.

15. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L)

This perennial herb of the Asteraceae family takes its name from the Greek mythological hero Achilles. It is said that he used it to heal his wound and those of his soldiers. Hence the other name for this pretty plant: soldier's weed.

This cosmopolitan damsel from the northern hemisphere isn't fussy: a heliophile, it makes do with little: roadsides, waste ground or meadows, many types of soil are suitable for its development. Another advantage is that it is an excellent melliferous plant.

16. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

A member of the Lamiaceae family, its name comes from the Greek "melissophullon", meaning "bee leaf" or "bee grass". It thrives in both sun and shade, and likes cool soil. It was already present and cultivated in medieval gardens. Its characteristic sweet lemony scent should not be confused with that of the stronger Asian citronella. Its white flowers make this pretty plant a natural mellifer.

In the past, beekeepers used it to attract swarms to a new hive by rubbing lemon balm into it.

17. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)

Whatever its use - medicinal, culinary or cosmetic - this is a plant that needs no introduction! It blooms from June to September, and thrives in dry, sandy, silica-rich soils of medio-European meadows, grazed and even overgrazed. It can be confused with Matricaria camomile: once again, a good sense of observation (or sourcing from trusted professionals) is required to pick it.

18. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

This messicolous species, often a weed in cereal fields, is a member of the Asteraceae family. It flowers from April to November. Preferring sandy-clay soils, it nevertheless adapts fairly well to a somewhat variable environment. And yet, it has regressed (or even disappeared) from its natural biotope. But it can still sometimes be found along the edges of our country lanes.

The French cornflower is a symbol of remembrance and solidarity with veterans, war victims, widows and orphans, when worn as a lapel pin.

For Horse Remedy - Charlotte Bouvier