Every Homestead Should Grow
Melissa officinalis: A little plant with a long history of helping people find their calm.
Some plants earn their place in the garden because they feed us. Others because they attract pollinators, protect neighbouring plants or provide useful remedies. Lemon balm manages to do several of these things, and smells absolutely wonderful while doing it.
Known for centuries as a calming herb, lemon balm belongs to the mint family. Crush a leaf between your fingers and its beautiful lemon fragrance is unmistakable.
But there is considerably more to this modest little plant than its perfume.
Why Lemon Balm Makes Us Feel Good
Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid, a natural plant compound being studied for its effects on the nervous system.
Research suggests that compounds in lemon balm can influence GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate nervous-system activity. When life becomes overwhelming and the mind refuses to settle, this calming system plays an important role.
Clinical studies have found promising effects on stress, anxiety and sleep, although research is continuing into exactly how lemon balm works in people.
Unlike some strongly sedating herbs, lemon balm may help people feel calmer while remaining mentally engaged, although its effects vary between individuals and preparations.
From the Garden to the Kitchen
One of the delights of growing lemon balm is how easily it becomes part of everyday homestead life.
Fresh leaves make a fragrant herbal tea, wonderful hot or chilled. They can be chopped into fruit salads, added to cool drinks, infused into honey or used to prepare herbal glycerites.
Lemon balm has also been used traditionally during seasonal illness, particularly for comfort and relaxation. Laboratory research has explored its antimicrobial and antiviral properties, but that does not establish it as a treatment for colds or influenza.
Growing Your Own Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a hardy perennial that grows readily in pots, garden beds and sheltered corners of the food garden.
In summer's hotter conditions, morning sunshine and afternoon shade are generally preferable. Give it moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, regular trimming and enough room to spread.
The small flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects, making it a welcome addition to a productive garden.
And because we grow with Earthfood®, naturally we want the soil biology working too, supporting the nutrient cycling and root environment that sustain vigorous plant growth.
A Little Independence in a Pot
There is something deeply satisfying about stepping outside, picking a handful of leaves and making something useful from a plant you have grown yourself.
A cup of lemon balm tea, a fragrant addition to the kitchen or a carefully prepared herbal glycerite reminds us that a productive homestead isn't simply about growing food.
It is about recovering practical knowledge and learning to make use of the extraordinary plants around us.
Sometimes the most valuable things in the garden are also the simplest.
Grow some lemon balm. Give it a little space. You may find it earns a permanent place in your homestead.
Want to make your own lemon balm glycerite? We've put together a simple, step-by-step Holmstead guide showing you how to turn fresh lemon balm leaves into a homemade herbal preparation. [Learn how to make lemon balm glycerite.]
Herbal note: Concentrated extracts can cause drowsiness or interact with medicines. Seek qualified advice before medicinal use, especially during pregnancy or when taking sedatives or thyroid medication.
Bronwyn Holm, Founder, Earthfood®
Farmers' Friend • Gardeners' Guide • Soil Advocate • Growers' Voice