Herb Associates Celebrate History and Spring

By Barbara F. Smith

As the Garden marked Roy Boutard Day on May 5, the themes of history and tradition united to recognize former director Boutard’s influential work. This year also marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Garden (then known as the Berkshire Garden Center) in 1934. The Herb Associates, the first defined group of volunteers at the Garden, oversee the Display and Production Herb Gardens near the Center House and spread the word about the delight of growing and using herbs.

As ever, the Herb Associates hosted a reception on Roy Boutard Day featuring a “Mai Bowle” — a herbal punch — and many varieties of cookies baked with herb ingredients and served on special plates (some pictured above). In 1986, members of the Berkshire Garden Club and the Lenox Garden Club designed, painted and donated a series of plates to the Garden for the Daffodil Show. (The gift’s inspiration harkens to the Victorian era when painting on China was a popular pastime. Some women painted various flower designs on white China plates, which were then fixed in a kiln to preserve the surface.) The donated daffodil plates were painted by Beverly T. Hallock, Peggy Kellam, Margot Paddock, Margaret Poutasse, Gena Quimby, and Debbie D. Smith.

We thank these women whose artistry and generosity live on each year at the Boutard Day reception, as they hold the delicious cookies baked fresh by the Herb Associates.

Work in the BBG herb gardens began in earnest this week, with cleaning the beds and adding some new plants. Two cultivated herbs are featured in this week’s article, lungwort and comfrey, along with a wild herb, dandelions, all pictured above.

Pulmonaria officianalis, commonly known as lungwort, is an ornamental, deer-resistant perennial hardy to Zone 4. This easy-to-grow herb prefers shade or partial shade, where it may grow to 12” tall. It blooms early, with flowers that open pink then turn to blue as they age; its leaves are variegated green and white. After the flowers fade, the leaves remain an interesting accent in the shade garden. Historically used for certain medicinal purposes, today this herb is largely used for its good looks.

Symphytum “Hidcote Blue”, commonly known as comfrey, is another early-flowering, perennial herb, hardy to Zone 5. Some may find the herb to be invasive, or at least rapidly spreading (by roots and self-seeding). A popular use today is to prepare “Comfrey Compost Tea,” by soaking chopped leaves in water for about six weeks (it will get smelly), straining the liquid and diluting it to the desired concentration, and then watering plants once a week with the “tea”. The comfrey leaves are high in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and calcium, which will benefit the plants.

Taraxacum officinale, commonly known as dandelion, is a hardy perennial herb, growing to 12” tall, with commonly recognized, bright yellow flowers. As one author wrote, “most folks don’t have to cultivate dandelions. In fact, a vast number of Americans spend endless hours and a small fortune trying to remove them from their lawns.” (S. Belsinger and A. Tucker, “The Culinary Herbal”.)

Have you smelled a dandelion? Their fragrance is slightly sweet and suggests honey and hay. The greens are mildly bitter and are used in salads or soups. The flower petals can be added to scrambled eggs or stir fries or used in salads and soups. (If you decide to try eating some dandelions, be sure to pick them from an area that has not been sprayed with chemicals.)

Today, the Kitchen Crew of the Herb Associates prepared a batch of Dandelion Jelly, a truly limited edition that will be available for sale in the BBG Gift Shop soon. And, the Kitchen Crew prepared its first batch of Lemon Chive Vinaigrette salad dressing, using a using bounty of chives from the production garden.

As the Herb Associates are glad to be back in the tending-harvesting-and-preparing season with the herb gardens, so too must you be excited about the season to come. We will continue to provide updates on what’s blooming and cooking with the BBG Herb Associates. Join us as we celebrate the Garden in this anniversary year!

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 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.