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 sale to fund 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 arbor 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, and a columnar crabapple tree share sun and shade with catnip and sage,
chamomile, and wormwood: 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, betony, 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 residents Jack and Linda Maguire 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 maintained several
others in Saltsburg. The herb/perennial circle begun in 1992 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, Carol Kelly, at 724-639-3514 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!
2008 Herb of the Year
As determined by the
International Herb
Association, 2008's Herb of the Year is Calendula
(Calendula officinalis)
Calendula is available in two forms: annual and perennial. The
perennial is Arctotheca calendula, an invasive and sometimes
unwanted garden denizen. Other names for the perennial
include cape weed or cape dandelion, and these are clues to
the plant's undesirability to some. The advantage to it is that it
does return hardily every year and spreads via seeds or
stolons.
But 2008's Herb of the Year is the annual calendula or pot or
English marigold. Calendula Officinalis is native to Southern
Europe around the Mediterranean but strangely enough
prefers a cooler growing season and does well in partial, but
not total, shade. Officinalis is easy to start from seed and is a
steady summer bloomer, especially if cut back during
extended hot spells. It likes average moisture in well drained
soil, so don't let its feet stay wet for too long. Calendula is
disease and pest resistant and has many medicinal and
cosmetic uses. The outer petals of the flowers, the florets, are
used in cooking for flavoring and coloring in margarine,
cheese, stew, and soup. Calendula extracts and florets, in use
for centuries, are still used today externally in creams and
ointments to calm irritated skin and strained muscles and
taken internally in teas. If you buy an insect-repellent wrist
band, chances are it contains calendula as the repelling agent.
Both annual and perennial forms are similar in appearance but
the annual has a more delicate leaf. The flowers come in a
wide variety of shades, from the palest yellow (nearly white) to
strong yellow to oranges and nearly reds.
Please click on the photos below to enlarge.
Previous Herb of the Year selections include 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.
As determined by the
International Herb
Association, 2008's Herb of the Year is Calendula
(Calendula officinalis)
Calendula is available in two forms: annual and perennial. The
perennial is Arctotheca calendula, an invasive and sometimes
unwanted garden denizen. Other names for the perennial
include cape weed or cape dandelion, and these are clues to
the plant's undesirability to some. The advantage to it is that it
does return hardily every year and spreads via seeds or
stolons.
But 2008's Herb of the Year is the annual calendula or pot or
English marigold. Calendula Officinalis is native to Southern
Europe around the Mediterranean but strangely enough
prefers a cooler growing season and does well in partial, but
not total, shade. Officinalis is easy to start from seed and is a
steady summer bloomer, especially if cut back during
extended hot spells. It likes average moisture in well drained
soil, so don't let its feet stay wet for too long. Calendula is
disease and pest resistant and has many medicinal and
cosmetic uses. The outer petals of the flowers, the florets, are
used in cooking for flavoring and coloring in margarine,
cheese, stew, and soup. Calendula extracts and florets, in use
for centuries, are still used today externally in creams and
ointments to calm irritated skin and strained muscles and
taken internally in teas. If you buy an insect-repellent wrist
band, chances are it contains calendula as the repelling agent.
Both annual and perennial forms are similar in appearance but
the annual has a more delicate leaf. The flowers come in a
wide variety of shades, from the palest yellow (nearly white) to
strong yellow to oranges and nearly reds.
Please click on the photos below to enlarge.
Previous Herb of the Year selections include 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.
Herb Society of Historic Saltsburg
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Calendula and
anemones in a
mixed bed.
Photo by Louisa
Fordyce
anemones in a
mixed bed.
Photo by Louisa
Fordyce
Bi-color calendula
Photo by Louisa
Fordyce
Photo by Louisa
Fordyce
