Practical model of a medicinal herb garden.

Recently, women's associations in Khanh Hoa province have collaborated with various organizations to cultivate and care for locally available medicinal plants so that members and residents can use them for treatment when needed.

In February 2024, as part of the "Every Woman Plants a Tree" movement, the Women's Union of Ninh Trung commune, Ninh Hoa town, launched a project to plant trees and create a medicinal herb garden at the commune's health station. Utilizing the vacant land at the health station, the women members planted over 30 types of medicinal herbs such as mugwort, dandelion, plantain, Eucommia ulmoides, monkey bone herb, dill, Rhus chinensis, turmeric, aloe vera, lemon balm, Centella asiatica, blood clam, periwinkle, Piper betle, ginger, licorice root, cogon grass, and Cynodon dactylon. These plants were contributed by the women members, with a few purchased from outside sources. Each plant is planted in its own pot and labeled with its name and uses, making it convenient for people to observe, find, and use effectively. The garden is cared for daily by the women members and health station staff, resulting in increasingly lush greenery. Through daily medical examinations and treatments, the commune's health station also regularly educates people about the uses of each type of plant in disease prevention and treatment.

The plants are grown in individual pots and labeled with names indicating their purpose.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of the commune, said that every year, the union continues to plant additional medicinal herbs in the garden. Whenever they visit a place and encounter a good medicinal herb, the women ask for cuttings to plant in the garden. Some members who have medicinal herbs in their home gardens also bring them to plant. Initially, the garden only had over 20 potted plants, but now it has more than 60 potted plants of various kinds. Thanks to this medicinal herb garden, people can come and pick herbs for common illnesses.

In March 2022, the Women's Union of Vinh Luong commune, Nha Trang city, collaborated with the Vinh Luong Border Guard Station to implement the "Medicinal Herb Garden" project. This project was a celebration of the National Women's Congress for the 2022-2027 term. Women's Union officials and members of the commune, along with officers and soldiers of the border guard station, planted approximately 10 rows of various herbs such as lemongrass, ginger, perilla, chives, purslane, and mugwort. The garden was well cared for by the border guard officers and soldiers to provide an additional source of medicinal herbs for treating various illnesses.

Meanwhile, since 2023, the Women's Union of Cam Nghia Ward, Cam Ranh City, in coordination with the Ward Health Station, has been clearing weeds and creating open spaces to plant and collect various medicinal herbs such as lemongrass, perilla, basil, white snake flower, ginger, turmeric, betel leaf, mugwort, motherwort, licorice root, milkweed, royal jasmine, and purslane... These are plants that grow scattered, which the women have gathered and replanted in rows, providing a readily available source of medicinal herbs for people in need. However, from the end of 2024 to the present, due to flooding, only about 10 types of plants remain in the garden, which the women have gathered and planted in pots. People use these herbs for steaming to treat colds and coughs, and for bathing babies...

According to the leaders of the Provincial Women's Union, in recent years, implementing the Government's project to plant 1 billion trees in the 2021-2025 period, the Women's Union at all levels has carried out tree planting projects suitable to the local situation. In particular, some branches have coordinated with other units to plant and care for medicinal herb gardens. Besides creating a green, clean, and beautiful environment, the medicinal herb garden model has brought positive results in supporting members and the people with additional medicinal herbs to treat common illnesses without having to spend money on medicine. In the future, the Women's Union at all levels will continue to encourage members to plant more trees as well as collect and cultivate medicinal herbs to create a source of medicinal herbs for people to treat illnesses when needed.

CHAU TUONG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202506/thiet-thuc-mo-hinh-vuon-cay-thuoc-nam-4b96811/