What is Happening in the Herb Garden and Kitchens This Week?

By Barbara F. Smith

As we approach the end of May, the Herb Display Garden is fairly bursting with new growth and blooms. An industrious bird (possibly a robin?) built a beautiful nest in one of the herb beds. Five creamy eggs with brown speckles await hatching. 

This week, we will focus on two Display Garden herbs in particular: Iris Germanica var. “Florentina” and Geranium macrorrhizum “Cranesbill." We’ll also hear about a particular garden pest enjoying the herb beds, and we’ll look indoors at the activities of the ever-busy Herb Associates Kitchen Crew.

Iris germanica, variation Florentina yields orris root, which is the herb of interest blooming with gusto this week. The genus Iris was named for the Greek rainbow goddess Iris. Within the genus Iris there are more than 300 species. Iris germanica falls within the category of herbaceous, or flag irises, which have fleshy creeping rootstocks or rhizomes. Florentina irises have sword-like leaves that are narrow and flat; their large pearly-white flowers are tinged with pale lavender. 

The chief economic use of the Florentina variation is the production of orris root, widely used in perfumes for its violet-like scent and its stabilizing capacity. Powdered orris root was formerly used in the preparation of hair powders and cosmetics. Records as early as 1480 indicate orris root mixed with anise was used as a perfume for bed linens for England’s King Edward IV. Currently, orris root is rarely used in medicine, but formerly was used to treat bronchitis and chronic diarrhea. Today, it is more likely found as a fixative in perfume, incense, potpourri, or as a flavor ingredient in some gin (reportedly, in Bombay Sapphire Gin).  

Another spring-blooming herb is Geranium macrorrhizum “Cranesbill”, also known as the “musk geranium." Found in the fragrance bed of the Display Garden, this semi-evergreen perennial grows to 20 inches tall with delicate pink flowers borne in dense clusters. It thrives in full sun and is deer resistant. The plant derives its name from its long, stout rhizomes. It has a “peculiar, warm, fresh, musk-like fragrance” (Encyclopedia of Herbs). The “cranesbill” name likely comes from the shape of the blossom and seed pods resembling the head and beak of a crane. These plants benefit from division to maintain their neat growing habit.

Herb Associates tending the Herb Display Garden discovered evidence of the Four-Lined Plant Bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus) (see photo above from the UMASS Amherst Insect and Mite Guide) in some of the herb beds. Native to the United States and Canada, the adult bug has four distinct black lines against a green/yellow background, an orange head, and dark red eyes. The eggs laid last summer overwintered on the plants, and now bright red or orange nymphs may be found on some herbs. These bugs prefer plants in the Mint Family (Lamiaceae), which includes many popular culinary herbs such as mints, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage.  The bugs are also found on medicinal herbs such as salvia and bee balm.

Feeding damage caused by these bugs may result in black or brown spots on leaves. There is only one generation of these bugs per year. Gardeners are recommended to prune out or cut back diseased foliage, and neem oil can be applied to the soil. For home gardeners seeking more information on insects and plant diseases, pest management strategies and plant health care practices, consider subscribing to the free “Hort Notes” published by the University of Massachusetts Amherst as part of its GREEN INFO mailing list.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE HERB KITCHEN CREW?

Taking advantage of the spring harvest of rhubarb, the Kitchen Crew prepared a batch of Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam. The combination of these two ingredients embodies the Spring season to be enjoyed throughout the year (if not entirely eaten right away!). If you’re lucky enough to have rhubarb growing in your garden, you know that rhubarb is easily harvested. Depending on the variety, the ripe stalks’ color will range from dark red to pale green. Be sure to cut off the leaves, which contain high levels of oxalic acid that can be harmful if eaten in large quantities. The stalks are entirely safe to eat. Rhubarb is a source of vitamins A and C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, potassium, and dietary fiber.

“Shrubs” are a newer product for the Herb Associates, and the first of the season, fittingly, is a Strawberry-Lemon Balm Shrub. The preparation involves infusing quantities of fresh fruit in apple cider vinegar, adding a bit of sweetness, herbs (in this case, lemon balm) and aromatic spices, and letting the blend steep for a period of time. The final product will be strained and bottled to be mixed with tonic or seltzer, or with your preferred alcohol for a refreshing, flavorful drink.

In addition to flavoring the shrub, a bowlful of lemon balm leaves was set to dry for blending in a herbal tea product later in the season. Native to Southern Europe, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a herbaceous perennial herb in the Mint Family (Lamiaceae). This popular lemon-scented herb has bright green egg-shaped leaves and small, yellow flowers. The plant is easily grown from seed and self-sows freely. It has been used in tisanes, wines and cordials. In addition to its culinary merits, lemon balm can be used in potpourri or sachets or hung in bunches as an air freshener.  

Lemon balm has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic effects. Modern medicine has confirmed the efficacy of lemon balm in the treatment of certain viral and autoimmune diseases, and aromatherapy makes extensive use of the herb.

If you visit the Berkshire Botanical Garden on Tuesday mornings, stop by the Herb Display Garden and speak with a Herb Associate about the herbs growing there. And do check out the range of Herb Associates’ products found in the Gift Shop at the Visitors’ Center. 

Particular Resources this week:

• “Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance” by A.O. Tucker and T. Debaggio, Timber Press, 2009
• “A Modern Herbal:  The Medicinal, Culinary and Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-Lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs & Trees and Their Modern Scientific Uses” by Mrs. M. Grieve, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1931a