The harvest is in, but the herbal goodness continues. Find the Herb Associates’ handcrafted products in the Gift Shop while the volunteers take a winter break and prepare for their 70th anniversary celebration next spring.
As the garden season winds down, Bay Laurel heads indoors for a winter retreat while fragrant Heliotrope takes its final purple bow, and both leave plenty of stories (and scents) behind. Meanwhile, the Herb Associates are busy brewing up Harvest Marmalade, stuffing catnip mice and stocking handmade goodies just in time for the Harvest Festival!
As autumn settles, the Herb Associates are preparing the gardens for winter while welcoming an intriguing new arrival: figwort, a little-known herb with a long medicinal history and a big appeal to pollinators. In the kitchens, the season’s harvest becomes marmalades, jellies, vinegars, finishing salts and other delicious creations — just in time for the Harvest Festival on October. 10-11.
Meet a wonderfully fragrant, slightly mysterious herb once known as “Lad’s Love” and “Maiden’s Ruin,” with a history spanning bouquets, perfumes, remedies, dyes, and even Liberty Tea. Then step into the BBG Herb Kitchens, where raspberry vinaigrette, harvest marmalade, lemon teas, and other herbal creations are bringing this garden treasure to life.
As we enter “the odd uneven time” that is September, leaves are scuttling in the entryway to the Herb Gardens. Mornings are cooler and the sunlight hits at a different angle. Yet there is much to observe and enjoy.
Late-summer may have quieted many of the herb beds, but two very different stars are still putting on a show. Plus, peek into the BBG kitchens for peach basil shrub, finishing salts, Herbes de Provence, jellies and other herbal creations keeping the Herb Associates busy through harvest season.
The Herb Display Garden always offers something of interest to learn. This week’s somewhat unfamiliar herbs are Pennyroyal and Wild Marjoram. Here we find two different plants with the same name, and a single name for multiple plants. Hope you’re still reading after that sentence!
A stroll through the Herb Display Garden yields a view of scores of plants at peak growth and beauty; this week’s topic will focus on two splendid herbs blooming with distinctive flowers. As usual, their histories and uses prove interesting.
This week, two familiar garden favorites reveal some surprising secrets. Discover how cheerful nasturtiums and signet marigolds have brightened gardens, inspired artists, flavored kitchens, and even earned a place in history.
After a week of soaking rains, the Herb Associates still found room to welcome two fascinating native plants to the garden — one a pollinator powerhouse you've probably overlooked, the other the minty favorite hiding behind familiar candies and teas. Plus, peek inside the BBG kitchens, where fresh herb syrups, dressings, shrubs, and a brand-new bread-dipping blend are keeping the season delicious.
One is tough and adaptable. Another is a staple used in herbal teas and liqueurs. Another potentially can be a federal crime to cultivate. And in the kitchens, it's all about jellies and vinaigrettes and drying our abundance for later purposes.
The gardens are soaking up the rain, the kitchens are buzzing with the harvest and a few remarkable native herbs are ready for their moment in the spotlight. Discover the plants that have been part of New England's story long before the first Fourth of July.
A most familiar and popular herb, and for good reason! Plus, a mint family member, award-winning, superbly aromatic groundcover. And what are we doing with the harvest of lemon thyme and basil?
Feverfew is a fragrant, daisy-like perennial prized for its ornamental beauty, traditional medicinal uses and natural insect-repelling properties. This week's Herb Display Garden also features blooming silver tansy and Jewels of Opar, fresh mulch and compost, and seasonal kitchen favorites including garlic scape jam, herb salt, infused vinegars, and new chive butter.
Roses take center stage in this exploration of potpourri, the centuries-old craft of blending dried flowers and herbs into natural, fragrant mixtures. From historic household traditions to hands-on garden recipes, let's look into the art of creating beautiful scents from the garden.
A humble sage plant may flavor your holiday turkey, attract pollinators, soothe a sore throat, and even color fabric, and that's just the beginning. Let's explore the fascinating stories behind sage and Carolina allspice, then tempt your taste buds with mint jelly, rhubarb jam, sweet-and-sour sauce, and refreshing fruit shrubs made from the garden's bounty.
Liz Leonard, Herb Associate coordinator for the BBG Herb Display Garden, is delighted to point out the newest bed containing a variety of herbs used to prepare herbal teas.
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