Beatrixpark is a small and clean park located behind the RAI congress centre in the South of Amsterdam and just a small distance away from the A10 motorway. This nice park is a mixture of modern and old gardening. The old part is influenced by the English style and after the second World War the park was modernised. You can also see the modern, high architecture just behind the motorway near the Metrostation Zuid and the opposite side of the park is just beside the Amstel canal.
At the Beatrix park, just opposite to a big playground is a interesting medical herb garden. It is good to walk in there and have a look of different useful plants and herbs. Many of those are growing wild in the forests, gardens and at the park. In "Atrsenijhof" Almost every plant has a sign with a name and how you can use them as a "medical plant". The volunteer society of Beatrix park is taking care of this medical herb garden. There is about 250 different herbs growing and sometimes they organise a guided walk to get to know the plants and their powers. Next one will be in the 5th of June 2016 from 14:00 to 15:30. You can get more information from here.
I have seen this flower in many gardens and now I know it has a medical use as well. Helleborus Argutifolius (Hellebore in english, Nieskruid in dutch) can be used as a medical herb, but it is also toxic and you can't under any circumstances try to prepare a herbal remedy of Hellebore at home!!
Everyone knows the Nettle (Brandnetel). The firs contact with this herb usually happens as a child when you have a skin contact with the stinging nettle and get the "burned" feeling on your skin. Then you start to avoid it and maybe even hate it. But it can be used as a medical drug treating allergies, prostate problems and it is said to help with some hair problems like losing your hair. You can also use stinging Nettle for cooking and substitute for spinach in any cooked recipe.
The next light rosa coloured flower I see everywhere by the water and I have been wondering the name of it. It is "Petasites hybridus"(the Butterbur) and it is effective against migraine and it has been used over 2000 years to treat fever, lung disease, spasms and pain. Again this plant has toxics too and the medical extract has to be carefully made by a reputable laboratory. Even if you can't prepare many of the natural medicines yourself it is good to know the effects of different plants and then it is easier to buy some products from the pharmacy or from Reform shop if needed.
I saw this feminine statue just when I was leaving the Park. It was like a reminder of being aware of the living Nature. A Mother Nature looking after the green and the animals and all of us. Many things are packed, designed and produced to make products look inviting for us. The "wild" and natural products are sometimes even scary for many people. It is just the lack of knowledge, lack of time and sometimes lack of interest. It is good at least to remember some of the advice from the older generations and natural medicine that can be found in your own kitchen or in the garden. This is learning process for me too, because just lately I have started to pay more attention to more vital cooking and the secrets of the herbs and other useful plants.
