Understanding the relationship between herbs and essential oils is easy and can be fun since both have so many desired uses inside and outside of the home. Using herbs adds beauty to the garden and has mild personal use benefits when grown “clean.” It has many culinary uses for taste and aesthetics, in addition to uses in body products.
Mentha piperita and Mentha haplocalyx are both recognized as plant sources containing menthol and menthone. Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are the main compounds found in essential oils. Peppermint Essential Oil is also known as Mentha piperita in case you are into speaking latin with your neighbors. Both herbal peppermint, as well as the essential oil, have been used in culinary purposes and traditional medicine for centuries. They are among the oldest herbs used for both culinary and medicinal purposes and are now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world. Quality Peppermint essential oil is produced in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and other regions of the world. Peppermint (Wiki) grows best in moist, shaded locations, and expands by spreading underground by its runners. Young shoots are taken from old stocks and dug into the ground about 1.5 feet apart. They grow quickly and cover the ground with its runners. For the home gardener, it is often grown in containers to restrict rapid spreading. It grows best with a good supply of water, without being water-logged, and planted in areas with part-sun to shade.
How can a person gain perspective in comparing essential oils to herbs? To illustrate the potency of essential oils, it is interesting that only one drop of Peppermint Essential Oil is equivalent to 28 cups of herbal peppermint tea!! This gives the opportunity to harness more powerful results when using essential oils. Naturally occurring Peppermint oil has a high concentration of natural plant protectors reported by farmers and gardeners to repel such pest insects as Aphids (aka Plant Lice), Ants, Squash Vine Borers, Beetles, White Flies, Fleas, Caterpillars, Spiders, and even mosquitos. It is also widely used to repel rodents such as mice. I made a spray bottle with peppermint in it to repel white flies from my Angel Trumpet plant last year, and it sent them flying. I did keep reapplying it. Using Peppermint essential oil is a viable “clean,” “green,” and organic gardening choice. It is also used in my favorite bug repellent spray!
There are also health benefits to using Peppermint essential oil, which has a long history of uses in traditional medicine to promote healthy responses in the body. The sharp, sweet scent of Peppermint essential oil is energizing and exhilarating. Georgia’s hot summers make it easy to enjoy the cooling effects of peppermint to prevent overheating. It also reduces muscle or nerve discomfort, provides relief from itching, as well enhance flavorings and fragrances. Peppermint relieves head and neck tension, promotes clear open airways, supports oral health, soothes the stomach and digestive process, and has strong emotional benefits. It is popularly used to reduce sad and anxious feelings, calm emotions, soothe away tension, and relieve restlessness. All this cool stuff (pun intended) and it even has uses in the garden!
For more information, education, or support on CPTG Essential Oils, contact Jody Robertson at myanointedjourney@gmail.com. You can join in on learning at the Anointed Journey Facebook Page or her website. January 2021
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