With a new planting season soon upon us, the Chesapeake Bay Herb Society (CBHS) is planning its meetings and the herb garden it plants and maintains at Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Easton.
CBHS was formed in 2002 by Lou Russell to share the love, knowledge, and uses of herbs with the local community. The demonstration herb garden has been going strong since 2003 with a dedicated group of members working on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the season.
The herb garden consists of 15 beds set in a maze pattern, with pea gravel paths. The beds have themes with signs for: Tea, Scent, Dye, Pollinator, Remedy, Remembrance, Basil, Pizza, Shade and Lemon. There are over 100 varieties of herbs, each adding to the freshness, fragrance, and beauty of the garden.
There is also an analemmatic sundial next to the garden that was designed and installed in 2015 by Spencer Garrett and other members. Various Thyme varieties are planted in the corners formed by the ellipse. Children especially enjoy using their bodies as the gnomon to cast the shadow on the marked stones.
CBHS has an herb-themed dinner meeting with an herb-related speaker on the second Thursday of the month, meeting at Christ Church in Easton. June is a picnic, and December is a holiday get-together. Program chairman, Maura Manley, has come up with interesting programs for the year, including speakers on oysters, cannabis (yes, with a broad definition, it is an herb), pollinators, soups with herbs, and much more.
Members keep up to date with a monthly newsletter with lots of information, tips, recipes, and links to relevant articles. To learn more about herbs and their many uses, meet fellow cooks and gardeners, attend a meeting and learn more about the Herb Society.
The garden is available to visit any time. The Audubon Center is located at 11450 Audubon Lane, off Sharp Road. For more information about CBHS, contact President Spencer Garrett at 410-827-5434.