Master Gardener Herb Garden

Please welcome a new contributor to the blog, Carol Kagan.  Carol recently moved to Franklin County from Prince George's County, Maryland where she was a Master Gardener for 8 years.  She is attending the current series of classes with the new set of Pennsylvania Master Gardeners.  She has a special interest in herbs and has been working with the herb team documenting the refurbishment/re-creation of the Demonstration Herb Garden.  Here is her post on that effort:

The demonstration herb garden has come a long way since last summer. After cleaning out the overly abundant herbs, the 44’x20’ plot was leveled.

The garden will be an informal design using raised beds, a different technique from the other gardens.

Wooden beds were built and installed that include a central octagon, small side beds and beds around the edges.

The beds were filled with manure donated by the riding center and top soil.

In the spring, the beds will be planted with various themes. A fragrance garden with lavender, roses and scented geraniums, a dye garden with lady’s bedstraw, betony and flax, and an everlasting garden with yarrow, wormwood and goldenrod are planned.

An historical theme garden will include herbs from literature and those used for medicinal purposes in the past. Kitchen and household gardens will include pennyroyal, flax and culinary herbs. Two front beds will be rotating themes such as Native American herbs and herbs for grilling.