Herb Garden

   Bird bath view.

The most common definition of an herb (Americans say "erb", British say "herb") is that it is a useful, generally aromatic, non-woody plant. Throughout recorded history and undoubtedly long before that, herbs have been gathered and cultivated for their multitude of useful properties. These uses included antiseptic (stewing herbs), cosmetic, culinary, deodorant, dyes, food preservation, fragrance, insect repellent, medicinal, ornamental, perfumes, religious ritual and herbal teas. Although herbs in this garden have been placed in sections according to their main present or historical use, many herbs had multiple uses. For instance, chamomile can be used cosmetically (for hair and skin), for its fragrance in potpourris, as an ornamental, as delicious tea or medicinally as a mild sedative (remember Peter Rabbit was put to bed with chamomile tea after his ordeal).

  Most herbs contain one or more essential oils which can be commercially extracted by steam distillation. Folk use of herbs required extraction by steeping in hot water for tea. Herbal dyes were prepared by simmering the herb in water for an hour, straining out the herb, then simmering the wool or cloth in the dye liquid for another hour.

  With the coming of modern science, the use and appreciation of herbs that had persisted well into the Victorian Era was not only forgotten, but scoffed at. The discovery of penicillin, increased awareness of hygiene, and production of synthetic fragrances rendered many uses of herbs obsolete. Recently, scientists have directed their efforts to a new understanding of the natural compounds found in herbs. Increasingly, we are rediscovering many of the practical uses of herbs for culinary and aesthetic purposes. Some of the herbs you may find in this garden are anise, bay, cilantro (coriander), lemon grass, oregano, tarragon, dill, fennel, rosemary, sage, mint, and thyme. We invite you to look at our garden, but no sampling please.