St. John Wort: cures all and very easy to grow.

Perhaps, St. John Wort is one of the most famous herbs worldwide (together with camomile, mint and a couple of others), treats heaps of diseases and maladies: from acne and gingivitis to depression (more later).
The application of this wonderful herb varies from country to country. Where I come from we have been using them for centuries to fight otitis, flu, angina, gastritis and acne. To my surprise, when I came here fourteen years ago, I realised that in western society, the main use of St. John's Wort is an anti – depressant and mood fluctuation!
So, what are the main components of this herb? It contains the following chemicals: tocopherols, flavonoids, hypericin, hyperforin, tannins, vitamin P, vitamin C, carotene, nicotinic acid, zulen, invert sugar. Active ingredients: quercetin, giperozid, kvertsitrin, izokvertsitrin, rutin, giperitsinol, tannins, pseudohypericin, carotene, resin, essential oil, niacin and ascorbic acid.
And here is the impressive list of the health benefits of St. John's Wort:

• Treats mild to moderate depression and mood swings. Scientists contribute it to the hypericin and hyperforin, that acts as conductors in the nerve system and making available dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin for the body for use. However, it takes three weeks to start those capsules to work.
  
• Insomnia, as St. John Wort regulates hormonal balance in the body.
  
• Chronic fatigue. In fact, during tsar's time St. John Wort was given to soldiers to boost their stamina.
  
• Menopausal mood swings and PMS.
  
• Anti–viral properties: the research is still undergoing, but there is a possible effect for treating HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other viral illnesses.
  
• Antioxidant and inflammatory properties are helping to fight with arthritis, goat and muscle pain.
  
• Also it expectorant and treats lung problems.
  

Please be cautious if you are pregnant or on medication as St. John Wort interacts with many medicines. Always consult your practitioner.
According to statistics, St. John capsules are among the best pharmaceutical sellers around the glob. The price of one jar in Australia varies from $11AUD to $25AUD. Considering that it'll start to kick in after three weeks and then you'll need to continue with your course it won't be cheap.
So, why not to grow your own St. John Wort in a backyard?
It's easy. St. John Wort is a weed.

• Best time to plant is spring.
  
• Prepare the site: as I mentioned above, St. John's Wort is a weed and as such will grow anywhere, but it prefers a dry soil.
  
• You can grow it from seeds (that what I did) of from runners (available from my garden now).
  
• Water it for three weeks if you planted from runners.
  
• If you are planting from seeds, soak them overnight or at least for a few hours. It'll take around three weeks to them to germinate.
  
• I planted my St. John Wort in a bed in a sunny position.
  A word of caution. St John's Wort is a vigorous plant and with a time, very much like a mint, it's like to take over other plants; may be you want to consider to plant it in the pot. Just remember be careful with watering, it doesn't like to be too wet. When it's in a full bloom – it's time to harvest. Cut 1/3 of the plant and dry it hanging upside down in a shady place.
  

And here some recipes:

• Shred 10 gr of St. John Wort; add 200 gr of water. Stand it in a Bain Marie for 15 minutes. Cool it down. Drink 1/3 of a glass, 20 minutes before meal.
  
• Place 3 tbs of shredded flowers in a jar, add 20 ml of oil (my favourite is flaxseed), leave in a dark and cool place for 14 days. Apply it later to your skin if you have acne.