Coffee: Thursday, March 22, 2018, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Heathcote’s herb collection includes many specimens of[simple_tooltip content=’Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals.’] Salvias[/simple_tooltip], as well as rare and exotic plants. Call to register: 772-464-4672
Join us to kick off Heathcote Herb Society on Thursday, March 21 at 9:30 am. Enjoy a continental breakfast with herb-infused breads. Learn about the origins of Heathcote’s Herb Garden and its rare and unusual salvias. Spearheaded by Karen Gottwald, our goal is to reinvigorate the Society formed in 1994 after an herb gardening workshop brought together a diverse cadre of herb lovers.
If you are interested in joining but cannot attend Thursday’s Coffee, please let us know by calling 772-464-4672 and will add you to the List for future events and activities.
Heathcote’s Gardener, Miriam Charles, was a founding member of the Herb Society. She will share how she seeks out rare and unusual herbs and starts many of them from seed. Miriam’s particular interest is in [simple_tooltip content=’Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals.’]Salvias[/simple_tooltip], and you will find many lovely specimens in the Herb Garden and in Heathcote’s Color Beds.
The herbs in Heathcote’s Garden range from culinary to medicinal. Some are also sources of dyes and ornamental dried bouquets. Yarrow, Rosemary, Pennyroyal and Lavender, and the seed heads of Dill and Fennel make nice dried arrangements. Basil and Bay, in addition to their culinary uses, symbolize friendship and loyalty. Geraniums are for comfort and, of course, Rosemary is for remembrance. You may also be familiar with Rose Hips as being a source of Vitamin C. Culinary herbs provided the inspiration for the Herb Society’s cookbook, Heathcote Gems: Herb Inspired Recipes, which is available in the Gift Shop.
St. Fiacre
The statue in the Herb Garden is a representation of St. Fiacre (pron. Fee-ah-kruh), an Irish monk whose feast is celebrated in Ireland and France on September 1st. He is the patron saint of gardeners (and taxi-drivers and florists among other things).
During the [simple_tooltip content=’the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Italian Renaissance and the Age of Exploration. Roughly speaking, the Dark Ages corresponds to the Middle Ages, or from 500 to 1500 AD’]Dark Ages[/simple_tooltip], monasteries were repositories of learning, and it was there that Fiacre became skilled at the use of healing herbs. Bishop Faro, viewed Fiacre’s act as a gift from God and proclaimed it a miracle.
