18-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Sept 28. 1974
by Sally Bair
Farm Feature Writer
As more and more women are discovering, herbs can
add a great deal of interest to otherwise ordinary cooking.
It is even more interesting if you grow them yourself, and
there is at least one local woman who thinks herbs are
attractive and imaginative when used in decorating.
Mrs. Francis Graeff, Sinking Spring RDS, often finds
ways to use the sturdier herbs in her arrangements for her
home and for flower shows, and she says part of the at
traction is the lovely fragrance they give off when
disturbed slightly.
The current “back to nature” trend is probably at least
partly responsible for the reviving fascination with herbs
and herb gardens, but the history of herbs dates back to
biblical times. Sarah Graeff names rue, wormwood and
hyssop as three herbs which can be found mentioned in the
Bible, and these and others have survived to today.
Mrs. Graeff said she has learned a lot about herbs
through helping to restore historic homesteads. She has
been particularly active in restoring the gardens at the
homestead at Hopewell State Park in Birdsboro. She
explained that the herb garden will eventually carry
varieties of herbs which were found at the time the
homestead was flourishing, about 1847. She is especially
proud that a variety of mint - apple mint - has been
preserved since that time. She brought a cutting home and
now has a lovely apple mint plant growing on her
property, and she frequently shares it with others.
It was customary in colonial America to “always have
the herbs as close to the back door as possible, so that they
could be readily used in preparing the meals,” Mrs.
Graeff says.
She adds, by the way, that the word herb may correctly
be pronounced either with a silent or a pronounced “h.”
Although Mrs. Graeff’s interest in herbs is relatively
new, she says her love for flowers was great “even as a
little child.” She added, “I am very lucky that my
husband is as thrilled as I am with growing things.” In
fact, the Graeffs shared the work in their commercial
greenhouse for years before they retired from the
business.
About eight years ago she began her herb collection
through a Wend from the Reading Federated Garden
Club who shared slips with her. Mrs. Graeff is also an
active member of the Shillington Women's Club and
works enthusiastically with their flower club division.
She says acquiring herbs is not difficult, but cautions
that some are much more hardy than others. Some seeds
germinate very slowly, and may rot in the ground she
says.
A good way to start your collection of herbs in the spring
is to buy plants from a greenhouse. Mrs. Graeff savs it is
often possible to get unusual herbs at plant sales spon
sored by auxiliaries and garden clubs. But you can also
Mrs. Graeff shows one of her arrangements which
features the lovely rue to add interest.
Grows Herbs For Cooking and
Mrs. Graeff poses with her prized rosemary plant
which appropriately stands near her front door as a
symbol of friendship.
start them from slips acquired from a friend. Usually you
can start with just a small amount, and they will quickly
grow and become abundant in your garden.
Mrs. Graeff says you can safely divide “anything with a
good root system.” A clump of chives, for instance, may
be divided simply by cutting the “system root” apart with
a sharp knife. Cither herbs, like mint, have a “running
root” and, according to Mrs. Graeff, can be readily
transplanted.
“A nicely balanced fertile ground is the best place to
grow herbs. If your soil tends to clay, add peat moss,
clippings or compost to make it more fertile. Herbs also
must have sun to be successful,” Mrs. Graeff says.
Thyme, chives, garlic chives, rue and horehound are
some of the more hardy types of herbs for this climate. All
mints are also relatively hardy - pineapple, lemon,
orange, blue stem, apple mint and spearmint. Mrs. Graeff
grows quite a few mint varieties in her garden - and
serves a delicious hot tea to her visitors.
Rosemary is a semihardy herb, Mrs. Graeff says, and
she has wintered over her plant for several years by
cutting it back and protecting it with a plastic container.
She is justifiably proud of her rosemary plant, which in
legend is the “plant of friendship.” She said the rosemary
should always be grown near the tront door, and,
traditionally, “its lovely fragrance will welcome guests
and tempt them to ask for a slip, and in that way you can
share it.”
Mrs. Graeff warns that the flavor of fresh herbs is
“much more pungent than dried herbs found in the store,
so care should be used in adding them to foods. ”
Herbs can be used continuously through their growing
season. Mrs. Graeff says even if they begin to flower you
can just break off the flower or shear back the plant and it
will continue to grow and be productive. In some instances
the seed of the herb can be used, so going to seed is simply
the first step toward additional use.
If you’re unsure about how to use an herb, or at what
stage to harvest it, Mrs. Graeff suggests checking herbs in
the store, and seeing what state they are in. For instance,
she says that a friend of hers saves the seeds of basil as
well as using the plant.
Now is the time to harvest herbs for the winter. To dry
them, you simply tie a bundle of the herbs and hang them
in a dry place until they crumble to the touch. Mrs. Graeff
says she likes to place hers near the hot water heater and
they will dry in about two weeks. You could also hang the
herbs near the furnace or in the attic, but if the drying
area is dusty, a paper bag should be used to cover them
loosely. When dry, crumble them, put in airtight jars and
you'll have a nice supply of herbs for use throughout the
winter.
Some herbs can be successfully frozen - just put them in
Decorating
a plastic bag and store in a well marked freezer container.
Herbs, of course, lend themselves to growing in pots
indoors all year round. It is a great joy to have pots of
herbs in your kitchen to nip and use at your convenience,
and it is a good way to winter over less hardy herbs.
Mrs. Graetf offers the following suggestion for growing
parsley in your kitchen. Put parsley seeds in a sponge and
soak it with water, then sit back and watch it grow. She
says this is a particular challenge for small children, and
it makes a conversation piece as well as a useful herb
container.
Although many herbs can be wintered over, some will
eventually die out after several seasons so Mrs. Graeff
says it is good to have a fresh start occasionally so you are
not left without your favorite herb.
Mrs. Graeff uses her herbs liberally not only in cooking,
but also in decorating. One lovely plant which she often
uses is the rue, which has a beautiful gray-green foliage,
and therefore can be used for a' different accent in
arrangements. “Some herbs don’t have the substance to
hold up in decorating, but a good one is the rose geranium,
or mint with zinnias,’’ she says. When using herbs in
decorating, you get to enjoy not only the lovely delicate
lines, but also the beautiful fragrances of the herbs.
The history of most herbs is little known to the average
person, but Mrs. Graeff Has learned many of them.
Marjoram is known as comfort and consolation, kindness
and courtesy. Our lady’s bedstraw which Mrs. Graeff
grows, is known as the symbol of the nativity because it
was found in the manger at the time of Christ’s birth. Ivy
symbolizes the attachment of eternal friendship, and is
recognized as the sign of the trinity.
The aloe plant is used for alum, catnip is an ancient
remedy for an upset stomach and yarrow is used in an
tiseptic. Mrs. Graeff says that the Roman soldiers would
brew the crysanthemum leaf to use for infections.
Foxglove, another plant found in Mrs. Graeffs garden, is
the source of digitalis which is used commonly for heart
ailments.
An old-fashioned favorite, according to Mrs. Graeff, is
lavender which was once hung in every closet to keep the
air sweet. Mrs. Graeff says it must be hung in mesh bags
so they can breathe.
Many Lancaster Countians are familiar with Mrs.
Graeff s love of nature through her presentation at the
(Continued On Page 401
Rose geranium is one of the herbs which Mrs.
Graeff enjoys using in h<-r decorating.