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| one of these. A chamomile lawn makes a wonderfully restful place where you can lie on the herbs, relaxing the body while the wonderful aroma wafts around you. If the lawn is one you grew yourself there are the added stress-reducers of exercise and a sense of fulfillment. |
| A specific variety of chamomile must be used: Chamoemelum nobile, "Treneague," is an apple-scented, non-flowering variety which works well, but the ordinary Roman chamomile saved from seed, which is less expensive, can also be used. Prepare the soil and then broadcast the seed. Cover with a thin layer of soil and keep moist but not wet. Once seedlings appear and have at least two sets of leaves, thin them out to about three inches apart. Don't walk on them until they are beginning to bind together. Remove most flower heads as they appear to ensure leaf vigor, but allow occasional flowers to remain as they form part of the lawn's charm. Avoid having a chamomile lawn bordering on a grass or wild garden area as creeping weeds will soon invade the lawn, and uprooting them will disturb the shallow-rooted chamomile plants. A surround of stone, brick or paving slabs is ideal. |
| If a very broad view is taken of herbalism, seeing it as an exploration of humanity's relationship with the plant world, some unusual healing possibilities present themselves. In recent years, researchers from several disciplines have begun investigating the benefits of contacts with plants, especially trees. In studies of the stress-reducing effects of nature, people recovered more quickly and completely from stress when exposed to plant-rich natural settings. This was indicated by lower blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and skin conductance. Psychological recovery was also facilitated with measurable reductions of fear and anger and increases in positive feelings. Physiological findings indicated that the nature settings produced significant recovery from stress in only four to six minutes. This rapid recovery highlights the importance of plants for city dwellers who are often stressed out by commuting and work pressures. |
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