The Herb Garden

Located at number eight on the map, the herb garden was designed, built and planted by Henderson County Master Gardener Volunteers. Many of the plants were grown from seed in our greenhouses. This garden is designed to show the variety of herbs that can be grown for the purpose of flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume. Parts of the plants that are used can be the leaves, seeds, or flowers.

In the herbs of the Bible, we’ve taken a little license in places, using cultivars of the various herbs that thrive in WNC, rather than the Holy Land.

In the dyeing garden, there are many plants that can be used to treat wool, silk, and cotton. The colors achieved vary with the yarn and with any mordant that is used. A mordant is a metallic compound used to treat yarns and fabrics prior to dyeing.

In the medicinal herb section, we’ve included plants that may have been used by our ancestors to treat wounds and ailments. Various parts of the plants are used in different ways to treat a wide variety of complaints. For example, the boiled roots of the comfrey plant had both the properties of an expectorant to loosen phlegm and a coagulant to relieve internal and external bleeding. Formed into a poultice, the roots encouraged the healing of bruises, strains, broken bones, and cuts. 

Finally, culinary herbs are used for the flavoring of food.