Program is FREE! | Planting an Herbal Container Garden
In the first of a series of four Garden Talks, gardening expert Pam Rowland presents an in-the-garden program on how to create an herbal container garden.
Held in the Institute’s Civil War-era garden at Monterey Pass, attendees will learn about the different containers that can be used for planting herb gardens, and about the uses of culinary herbs.
Pam will demonstrate planting an herbal container garden, and talk about the needs and growing habits of herbs, as well as how to take care of your herbal container garden.
The adjacent Monterey Pass Battlefield Museum will be open especially for attendees of this event.
About the garden:
Created in partnership with the Friends of the Battle of Monterey Pass, the garden was based on extensive research and was planted by The Institute’s garden director and volunteers.
It will be an educational tool for area school children and for visitors to Monterey Pass Battlefield Museum.
“The garden is an interpretation of a Civil War-era garden, not a literal reproduction,” said Rowland, The Institute’s director of education and the garden director.
“In addition to traditional vegetables, 19th-century gardens often included a variety of herbs, used for both medicinal and culinary purposes.”
The garden will have a significant number of such herbs.
Many of these were used historically as “backyard medicine” by households and were also used by surgeons and doctors tending to wounded Civil War soldiers.
“For example, lamb’s ear was used on wounds,” Rowland said, “and lemon balm was used to relieve headaches.”
The 25-by-28-foot garden is enclosed by a period style wooden fence, constructed with reproduction 19th-century-style nails.
With six raised beds and one 24-foot-long bed, the plantings will change from year to year, always with an eye to reflecting period gardens.
This year, veggies like rhubarb and onions have been planted with the herbs.
A corps of Institute garden volunteers and Blue Ridge Garden Club members work with The Institute to maintain the garden throughout the season.
