When you buy a home, one of the simplest and quickest ways to make it your own is to plant a garden. Gardens are desirable for any number of reasons: they provide a place to relax with friends and family, and they add beauty and curb appeal to your home. But, strategically planted, they can also be a source of natural home remedies. The following garden plants are not only easy to source and care for; they have been used by people around the world for millennia as DIY remedies for everyday ailments.

Accessible Aloe

This tropical succulent (very trendy right now in design circles) is easy to find and care for, whether its planted in an outdoor garden, or in pots that may be moved in and out of doors according to the season. Many tribal people have traditionally used aloe vera for healing wounds. When its long-spiked leaves are cut, the extracted juice can be used for sunburn, and to treat digestive aliments and heartburn. This remarkable plant can also produce an alternative to mouthwash, lower your blood sugar level and naturally keep fruits and vegetables fresh. It can be used straight from the garden, but clinical studies involving aloe are exploring its therapeutic potential for fighting diseases such as breast cancer and diabetes.

Uplifting Lemon Balm

This perennial is best harvested and used fresh rather than dried. The leaves and flowers can be used to make a stomach-calming tea. Mix it with peppermint leaves and a bit of honey to make a concoction that relieves stress and anxiety. Growing in the garden in beds, containers or pots lemon balm attracts bees and releases a refreshing scent.

Robust Rosemary

This common garden herb has a long history of use for health and well-being and you may be familiar with it as an ingredient for cooking. Rosemary is often used to enhance the flavor of meats and potatoes, but the plant also has antioxidant properties. It can also be used to infuse oils for topical use. And its fragrance is calming, so sprigs of dried rosemary or pots of topiary make lovely decorative items for around the home, or for gracing balconies and patios with Mediterranean flair.

Captivating Calendula

Also known as pot marigold, this cheery yellow and orange flower has antiseptic properties. Planted in vegetable beds that capture full sun, calendula will discourage pests and fungus that can destroy edible plants. And its own petals can be ground into a number of skin soothing salves, soaps or creams. Dried calendula flowers combined with coconut oil, ground oatmeal, or infused as a tea can be used for everything from a throat spray to an anti-inflammatory cream.

Lovely Lavender

This fragrant flowering plant has become extremely popular with home gardeners for a multitude of reasons. It’s low maintenance, perennial and hardy. Potted, it can also be brought inside for the winter months. Essence of lavender has long been used for its calming properties and dried lavender flowers are a traditional ingredient for potpourris and domestic sprays for ironing sheets. They can also be added to creams and bath oil for treating insomnia and depression.

There’s no doubt that a well-cared for garden makes a property more attractive for people looking at buying a house: the quickest selling homes for sale tend to include attractive landscaping features and pretty garden areas. And for a quick upgrade to new home or apartment, establishing a garden, or even a collection of pots and window boxes, filled with plants that have healing properties, will do a body wonders.