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

By Barbara F. Smith

This week, we feature three herbs and many products! The gardens are lush, and there is much to enjoy and appreciate.

As one author remarked, “Let us stop here to laud the visual merits of this handsome garden denizen” — a personal favorite of mine — Clary Sage (Salvia scalera), which is a biennial member of the mint family. Its appearance is definitely eye-catching (sorry for the pun; read on). Growing three to five feet tall, with long, loose blossoming spikes in cream, pink or pale purple, this plant has a strong, pleasant balsam-like fragrance (see photo above). 

The genus Salvia derives its name from the Latin “salvere” to heal or to save; and clary derives from the species name scalera, which is Latin meaning clear. Old herbals indicate that clary seeds were used historically to clear sight and relieve eye irritation. Beyond treating eye ailments, clary sage was recognized for its qualities to aid digestion, as an antiseptic, antidepressant, and aphrodisiac. Although no longer used widely as a medicinal herb, clary’s essential oil is still recognized by modern herbalists to reduce stress and tension.

In the 1500’s German wine merchants used clary infusions (along with elder flowers) to enhance their Rhine wines. Clary has also been used to flavor other wines, vermouths and liqueurs.  

Today, the essential oil of clary sage is used widely in perfumery, and its aromatic flowers are used in sachets or potpourris, along with other herbs such as lavender, bee balm and jasmine. Consider adding a few clary sage plants to your garden for a dramatic display in June and July!

Next is Betony (Stachys officinalis), another mint family member (See photo above). As one resource put it, betony is “surely the most important herb of which most of you have never heard.” A relative of Lamb’s Ear, betony is also known as bishopswort. This perennial herb grows 1-2 feet tall with slender square stems at the top of which are two-lipped flowers forming spikes, ranging in color from purple to pink.

Native to Europe, this important medicinal herb was reported in Roman times as used to cure scores of different illnesses. Through the centuries, betony has been cultivated in gardens of apothecaries and monasteries. In addition to its medicinal uses, betony was believed to be effective against evil spirits and, therefore, was planted in churchyards or worn in amulets.

Today, betony is no longer regarded as a cure-all. However, modern herbalists still use betony for the treatment of headaches and facial pain and to relieve stress and tension.

Famed plantsman and landscape architect Piet Oudolf has brought increased popularity to betony with his introduction of the variety “Hummelo,” named after a district in Holland and his own nursery. Samples of US gardens where he incorporated this plant are the Lurie Gardens in Chicago and the Battery Garden in New York City. This variety has vivid lavender blossoms and is deer and rabbit-resistant  In 2019, Stachys officinalis “hummelo” was named perennial plant of the year by the Perennial Plant Association, noting that it is as “trouble-free as it is eye-catching.” This versatile plant would be a great addition for any garden, not only combined with other perennials but also with wildflowers and grasses.

To round out this week’s herb standouts is the poppy (Papaver somniferum) (see photo above). Also known as the opium poppy or the breadseed poppy, this is a plant with “potent dual associations: good when used to heal, but bad when abused. . . the opium poppy, the earliest known painkiller, is surprisingly beautiful and ornamental” (Orr). Native to Asia, this erect herbaceous annual varies much in flower color, shape of the pods, and color of the seeds. Poppies may grow 2-4 feet tall, with large, silvery green foliage and four-petaled flowers. They thrive in sunny, well-drained conditions.

Poppy seeds are safe for consumption. The oil-rich seeds have the same oil, protein and carbohydrate levels as sesame seeds. They are commonly used in baked goods for their distinctive nutty flavor and crunchy texture, and as decorations on rolls, bagels or muffins, or as fillings in strudel or hamantaschen.

It is the sap of the unripe seed capsules that has the medicinal (or addictive) qualities. Ancient Greek, Roman, and Persian cultures used opium medicinally for relieving pain or as a sedative. Morphine and codeine are examples of modern medicines derived from the opium poppy sap. Opium poppy cultivation is strictly controlled in many countries; however, several ornamental forms are widely grown.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BBG KITCHEN?

The Herb Associates Kitchen Crew prepared old favorites and new products this week.  Mint Jelly was made using spearmint, and Dandelion Jelly was made from an infusion of dandelion petals — such a delicate taste. Given the availability of lavender, now coming into bloom, the team prepared Lavender Simple Syrup (for cocktails or mocktails) and Lavender-infused Sugar. Chive Blossom Sweet Sauce — a relative to jelly — will be useful in salad dressings or dips. Fresh Tarragon Dressing was mixed and labeled.

Some new flavor pairings produced new products — a Raspberry-Rosemary Shrub, and a Cantaloupe-Mint Shrub — refreshing sweet/tart syrups (made with vinegar) to add to your lemonade, iced tea, tonic, or favorite cocktail for seasonal flavor.

Finally, two new products were prepared: Rosemary-Lemon Finishing Salt and Thyme-Lemon Finishing Salt (see photo). These coarse salt blends are meant to add a burst of flavor and texture to already-cooked dishes. The salts also have a visual impact with the lemon zest as a color contrast, providing another sensory experience. These versatile seasonings can be used on everything from steak and seafood to vegetables, salads, and even desserts.

Stop by the Gift Shop at the BBG Visitor’s Center and check out all the mouth-watering products made by the Herb Associates. These items make wonderful hostess gifts or treats for yourself!  Proceeds from the sale of these products benefit the Berkshire Botanical Garden.

Main Resources this week:

“The New American Herbal,” by Stephen Orr, Clarkson Potter Publisher (2014); “75 Exceptional Herbs for Your Garden,” by Jack Staub, Gibbs Smith Publisher (2008); “A Modern Herbal in Two Volumes,” by Mrs. M. Grieve, Harcourt, Brace and Company (1931).

The Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Herb Associates began in 1957 and have been making and selling products for the benefit of BBG ever since. At BBG, the Herb Associates oversee a display garden and production garden, both located near the Center House. Members/volunteers meet every Tuesday morning during the late spring through mid-autumn each year, coinciding with when the gardens themselves are open to the public. Members plant, weed and tend the gardens, as well as harvest and process the variety of herbs.