🌿 Setting Up a Backyard Herbal Apothecary
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Some of last year’s harvest.
A Simple Guide to Growing and Gathering Everyday Wellness
There's something deeply grounding about stepping outside and snipping a sprig of thyme or lemon balm, knowing it will soothe your body or flavor your tea. As summer begins to stretch her arms and warm the earth, it's the perfect time to carve out a corner of your backyard—or even a few pots on the porch—for your own simple herbal apothecary.
This isn’t about complexity or perfection. It’s about intention. About growing what you can, learning as you go, and leaning into the old ways, where medicine was made in kitchens and healing came from the land.
Why Start a Backyard Apothecary?
A home apothecary helps us to slow down and tune into the rhythms of the earth. You don’t need acres or experience—just a bit of sun, a few useful herbs, and the desire to live closer to the seasons. The herbs you grow can support your immune system, soothe minor burns, calm anxious minds, or simply flavor your evening tea. Or it can be no other reason than you just feel like growing something useful or gardening makes you happy!
Calendula coming up.
5 Easy Herbs to Start With
These are herbs I reach for most often—simple, versatile, and beautiful in any garden. They are also really easy to grow! My herb garden is not in the best soil, but I have added some compost and a little potting soil. I order most of my plant seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They are a Missouri company and I have good luck with what I have ordered from them. They have a beautiful catalogue! I don’t receive a commission from Baker Creek. I just love the catalogue selection and customer service.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Bright and sunny, calendula’s petals are anti-inflammatory and healing. Infuse them into oil for salves, add to skin-soothing teas, or toss into a summer salad for a splash of color.
🌱 Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
A gentle nervine, lemon balm calms anxiety, eases digestion, and smells like lemon sunshine. I love it in teas or infused into honey.
🌾 Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Small but mighty, chamomile is perfect for calming restlessness, especially in children. Dry the blooms for tea or steep into oil for a soothing balm. Recipe below!
🌿 Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
A powerful antimicrobial herb, thyme is excellent for coughs and colds. I use it in steam baths, tinctures, and broths.
🌿 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
An old wound herb, yarrow helps stop bleeding and reduce inflammation. It grows wild in many places—look for its feathery leaves and flat white or pink flower heads.
I have several of these citronella plants around my deck as well as catnip to keep those mosquitoes away.
How to Set Up Your Space
My thyme is doing well in direct sun and not the best soil.
Whether you have a garden bed, a few raised planters, or just some terra cotta pots on a step, your apothecary can thrive with a little sun and love.
✦ Choose a Sunny Spot
Most herbs need 6+ hours of sunlight a day. Pick a well-drained area if planting in the ground.
✦ Keep It Close
The closer your herbs are to your kitchen or back door, the more likely you are to use them often. Mine is not in the most convenient location, but it isn’t a high traffic area for our dogs to destroy.
✦ Use What You Have
Old wooden crates, salvaged pots, or a patch near the porch all work just fine. Rustic is beautiful in my opinion.
My Chamomile patch. I love the feathery foliage.
Simple Ways to Use Your Herbs
Once you've harvested your herbs, you can preserve and use them in these easy ways:
Dry for Teas – Hang bundles upside down or use a dehydrator. Store in labeled glass jars.
Infuse in Oil – Perfect for salves or massage oils (I use olive or sweet almond oil).
Make a Tincture – Steep fresh or dried herbs in alcohol for long-lasting extracts.
Create a Balm – Combine infused oils with beeswax for healing salves (great for cuts, scrapes, and dry skin).
I added another lavender plant this year. I just can’t get enough of this plant!
Labels, Jars & Simple Storage
Keep it old-fashioned: amber jars, beeswax wraps, and handwritten labels. Your apothecary doesn't need to look like a store shelf—it should feel like your grandmother’s pantry. I like to use recycled jars and tie on labels with jute twine or masking tape and ink. I also have a set of labels available in the store portion of the website. I also make jar bonnets and add to the top of my jars. It gives the pantry a pop of fun color.
Horse Radish gets very large! The small plant is a new thyme I stuck in to fill space. It spreads nicely.
I asked AI to create a label for Horse Radish. Feel free to use this.
Here is a more simple label for those that like simplicity.
🍯 Simple Herbal Recipes for Your Backyard Apothecary
Now that you have these herbs, what can you do with them? These recipes celebrate the healing power of common herbs and are easy to make with what you grow or forage. No fancy equipment needed—just jars, patience, and a little care. If you haven’t gotten an herb garden started and want to try the recipes, I linked up the items on Amazon.
🌼 Calendula Infused Oil
For: Skin irritations, scrapes, diaper rash, dry skin. I love to use this oil in my Golden Bloom Balm.
Ingredients:
Dried calendula petals (enough to fill a jar loosely)
Olive oil (or sweet almond oil)
Instructions:
Fill a clean glass jar ¾ full with dried calendula petals.
Cover completely with olive oil, making sure all petals are submerged.
Cap and place in a sunny windowsill for 2–4 weeks, shaking gently every few days.
Strain through cheesecloth and store in a clean bottle.
Use as-is or turn into a salve by adding melted beeswax.
🌱 Lemon Balm Honey
For: Anxiety, cold sores, sore throat, uplifting teas
Ingredients:
Fresh lemon balm (1 loosely packed cup)
Raw honey (enough to cover herbs)
Instructions:
Lightly bruise lemon balm leaves to release oils.
Place in a clean jar and cover fully with honey.
Stir to remove air bubbles and cap tightly.
Let infuse 5–7 days in a warm spot, then strain (or leave herbs in for longer shelf life).
Take a spoonful for stress or stir into tea.
🌾 Chamomile Tea Blend
For: Sleep, restlessness, upset stomach. This is one of my favorite tea blends.
Ingredients:
2 parts dried chamomile flowers
1 part dried lemon balm
1 part dried lavender (optional)
1 part loose leaf green tea (optional) I really love it with green tea and lavender.
Instructions:
Blend all herbs in a jar or tin.
Use 1 tsp per cup of boiling water.
Steep 5–7 minutes, strain, and enjoy before bedtime.
🌿 Thyme Steam for Coughs & Congestion
For: Cold relief, sinus pressure. We use a lot of thyme for non-cooking purposes like the one below. I dry as much as I can.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 quart boiling water
Instructions:
Place thyme in a heatproof bowl.
Pour boiling water over the herbs.
Drape a towel over your head and lean over the bowl, inhaling the steam deeply for 5–10 minutes.
Repeat 1–2 times a day during illness.
🌿 Yarrow Poultice for Minor Cuts or Inflammation
For: Wounds, swelling, insect bites
Ingredients:
Fresh yarrow leaves (a small handful)
Clean cloth or bandage
Instructions:
Crush or chew the fresh leaves to release juices.
Apply directly to clean skin on minor cuts or bites.
Wrap with cloth and replace every few hours.
Note: Yarrow can also be dried and powdered for wounds.
Closing Thoughts
Starting a backyard herbal apothecary is less about being an expert and more about becoming a student of nature. You’ll learn as you go. And in time, these humble herbs will become trusted allies in your home. I hope you try growing some of these herbs and I hope you try some of the recipes. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message in the contact form.
And remember, even a small jar of calendula salve or a cup of chamomile tea is a kind of self-sufficiency. A kind of remembering and appreciating Mother Nature.
So plant a seed. Dry a flower. Fill a jar. And little by little, let your apothecary grow.
Stay rooted,
Roxanne
Verbena & Coleus planted in mugs from Dollar General.
