Who We Are, What We Do


The Herb Society of Historic Saltsburg is not a branch of the Saltsburg Historical Society;
however, we are indebted to the Society for allowing us to create and maintain a
demonstration garden along and behind the Rebecca B. Hadden "Stonehouse" Museum.

The purpose of the Herb Society is to teach, learn, and share herb-related activities and
our love of herbs with anyone having a similar interest.  Society activities include
designing, planting, and maintaining herb gardens and perennial plantings; field trips,
garden visits and plant exchanges; sharing herbal recipes and medicinal lore; and
working together creating herbal crafts for pleasure, exchange, and fund raising for our
expanding public gardens.  

Outside speakers, elections, and our annual December Victorian Tea are scheduled at
the Saltsburg Borough Building or at members' homes on the second Friday of each
month at 7 p.m.  During summer months, meetings may take place at garden sites, at
member homes and gardens, or at the Saltsburg Borough Building.

Our Gardens

The Museum Garden, begun in 1996, is our "signature" project and one that, like any
garden, changes not only from year to year but from season to season.  It reflects a typical
kitchen garden from Saltsburg's earlier days, when the good housewife would plant a mix
of culinary, medicinal, and decorative annuals, perennials, vegetables, and fruits for her
family.  The pergola in the side yard annually supports a lush growth of Concord grapes
up one post and a rampantly growing hopvine on the other.   Asparagus, rhubarb, lilacs,
roses share sun and shade with catmint, sage, and chamomile: these and scores of
other useful and decorative plants are all at home here.  Numerous cultivars of
sharp-scented mints and fragrant thymes spill over out of the antique planting boxes that
barely contain them.  The pergola was constructed from shelving and bins from the old
Saltsburg Hardware from the late 19th century.  The sword-like leaves of bold irises mark
the edges of the outer beds, sometimes restrained by a wattle fence.  Historically
important plants such as soapwort, tansy, dames' rocket, oregano, honesty,
love-in-a-mist, calendula, violas, campanula, dianthus, and many more flowers abound.

Artifacts important to the history of Indiana County in general and Saltsburg in particular
accent the various plantings.  A millstone, believed to have been used in the first gristmill
in the Saltsburg area, begun by Mr. Johnston in 1797, stands vertically as a backdrop for
foxgloves.  A sundial donated by Saltsburg by Margaret McKelvey Barnes in memory of her
parents Robert and Ada McKelvey rests on a conical road marker that formerly stood at the
corner of Washington and Water Streets.  The marker nestles now amidst fuzzy, soft-hued
herbs in the gray garden: artemisia, rose campion, lambs' ears, southernwood, and
sedum.  Heirloom roses of pale pastel, some donated as memorials, sprawl comfortably
over a section of fence and the gate from the actor Jimmy Stewart's boyhood home.  Pale
ochre paving bricks from Point Street, which bore horses and their heavy cart in
Saltsburg's heyday, now accent the wide, handicap- accessible gravel path that today
bears only the light footfall of the admiring visitor.  A section of cedar roof gutter dating from
the 19th century, found on the Museum grounds, provides a backdrop for a mix of basils.  
In early spring, hundreds of colorful bulbs bloom, offering early nectar to the hungry bees.  
The highlight of the spring garden, though, may well be the spectacular circular lavender
bed, with its terra cotta bee skep at the center.  When the lavender blooms on warm sunny
days in late spring, the soft air vibrates with the low peaceful hum of countless bees at
work and is filled with the heady fragrance of this herb, beloved of the ancient Romans.

In addition to this large garden, the Herb Society has created and maintains several others
in Saltsburg.  The herb/perennial circle begun in 1993 at the Borough Building and the
mixed plantings of bulbs, herbs, annuals, and perennials begun in 1996 that edge the
Washington Street Steps on the hill alongside the Presbyterian Church attract both
two-legged and winged admirers.  The Steps site also features a Bible Garden, begun in
1997.  The plantings begun in 1997 at the River's Edge Park are evolving slowly and
currently include a variety of roses and lilies.

All of these require light but regular maintenance.  Any gardener interested in spending a
few minutes or a few hours on a regular or occasional basis working among the flowers
and herbs is urged to contact our club president, Joyce Perrone at 412-849-7750 for more
information.  Or send an e-mail to HerbSocietyInfo@yahoo.com.  We'd love to see you in
our gardens, and the wealth of information you will pick up from our members is
invaluable!
2010 Herb of the Year

As determined by the
International Herb
Association, the 2010 Herb of the Year is dill.
The 2010 Flower of the Year is false indigo.
Both of these plants will be available for our Canal Days
Sale, June 4, 5, and 6, 2010.




Previous Herb of the Year selections include bay laurel in
2009, calendula officinalus in 2008, lemon balm (Melissa
officinalis) in 2007, scented geraniums (genus Pelargonium) in
2006 and oregano/marjoram (genus Origanum) in 2005.  See
http://www.herbsociety.org/her
byr.php for the complete list starting in 1995.

Upcoming Herbs of the Year, according to the International
Herb Association at  http://www.iherb.org/hoy.htm

2011 Horseradish
2012 Rose
2013 Elderberry
2014 Artemisias
2015 Savory
Herb Society of Historic Saltsburg