—Lancaster Farming, Saturda:
42
Things are just starting to turn green from
Winter's dormancy, and most plants will be
transplanted in the next few weeks. Mrs. Buck
waiter and her whole family get involved with this
project. Her sons built the stone wall in the
background.
Herbs are her business
By SUSAN KAUFFMAN
Feature Writer
Warm weather this week has brought many gardeners
out of their homes and into the sunshine to plant peas,
potatoes, spinach and lettuce.
Rebecca Buckwalter, QuarryviUe R 4, however, is busy
with chives, dill, and sage as she continues to establish the
worldng herb garden at her family’s : new homestead,
having moved there last year from Eden Road, Lan
caster. An avid herb enthusiast for many years, Mrs.
Buckwalter had to leave many of her plants behind and is
now energetically engaged in planting the new garden
which will provide plants and many dried herbs she uses
in her shop called Herb Craft.
Typical of the family’s cooperative lifestyle, her sons,
Marc, 6, and Timothy, 10, were busy this last weekend
helping with their mother’s enterprise by building a stone
wall along the back of the herb garden. At the same time
her husband, Willard, was doing carpentry work in the
new shop in the basement of their home.
“My husband always does the heavy work in the garden
like digging and roto-tilling and putting in the topsoil,’’
Mrs. Buckwalter explains.
“I do the planting. We mulch with fine wood chips to
reduce weeding, then I care for the plants. You really
have to work with them through all the seasons because
they are used at different growing stages for different
things,” she notes.
“This is really a family project,” Mrs. Buckwalter
continues. “Last year we went to Long Park during the
Bicentennial exhibition of crafts. The boys dressed in
colonial costumes just as I did. They take a lot of interest
in the herbs and my husband really helps out a lot.
Sometimes in the Summer I am so busy with the
shop, the mail orders, and the garden that I haven’t even
thought of what I’m going to have for supper when he
arrives home. He steps right in and gets something
started anyway.”
What attraction is there about these herbs that keeps
the Willard Buckwalter family so well occupied?
In answer to this query, this herb enthusiast said she
became interested in working with them when a neighbor
gave her plant slips several years ago.
“It really grows on you!” she says by way of ezplaing
her pursuit with these innocent looking plants.
“I grew tired of sending so far away for supplies that I
decided to establish a wholesale and retail business at our
home. I had the shop at Eden Road for eight years. When
we moved here last year we had so much to do with
moving into our newly built home that we didn’t know
where to begin.” she noted.
“It takes at least two years to establish an herb gar
den,” she explained.
Besides working on her own garden she is presently
creating one at Rockford. Visitors there this Summer will
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April 16. 1977
_ Samples of her beautifully handmade, .wares are
strawberry and linen closet sachets. A strawberrysachet
is a rose-lavendar scented potpourri fashioned into a
strawberry shape and made from red polka-dot material
Inaddition to actually growing manyherbal palntsMrs. trinunedwith green felt leaves. The linen closet sachetis
Buckwalter fincbtime and energy to share her knowledge ejght-inch-by 11 inch sachet complete with wide, white
of, herbs and-their uaesi4p .PTA’s, .w«meiL , » t «rQups r , . ey«et ttinirßhas an innerlihingwith pockets to keeptfie
schools, and at various community activities such as the intents f rom falling into the bottom when hung upright
Bicentennial celebration at Long Park and the Holly,Trail
, crafts display at lind|m, Hall ja?t, December. >
Remembering an all-day project at Elizabeth Martin
Elementary School last year during the school’s “Culture
’ Comer” program, Mrs. Buckwalter said, “The kids were
fantastic. They were so interested in the herbs I had on
display and the information I had to tell them about
’ Pioneer’s use of herbs. The children were really curious
and appreciative.”
Homestead
bam. Trying to recreate the garden of years ago, Mrs.
Buckwalter plans to establish three sections according to
use: fragrance and beauty, medicinal, and culinary.
Mrs. Buckwalter’s extensive knowledge of herbs ranges
from the interesting history of many herbs, herbs men
tioned in the Bible, herbs used in teas, herbs used
specifically for dyeing materials, pioneers’s uses of herbs,
culinary uses, growing of herbs, and the making of pot
pourri from dried herbs.
“Just this last year I had slides made from pictures I
had taken over the last few years. In Winter, I can now
show slides much more effectively than carry potted
plants back and forth,” she explained. “During our
vacations we travel and of course stop at many sites
which have herb gardens! There is always so much more
for me to learn about them. There is no end to it!” she
continued.
Recipe themes for
\Home on the Range 9
APRIL
rto “Italian Week”
JdO Deadline April 13
ryr\ “Crock Pot Cookery”
OU Deadline April 20
MAY
fj “Low Cal Meats”
* Deadline April 27
. “Easy on the Waistline Desserts”
JL4 Deadline May 4
“Conscience-easing Vegetables”
«<5-a. Deadline May 11
“Berry Desserts”
2o Deadline May 18
Notes
Mrs. BudnvaMsr scoops lavendsr into a glass
decanter atthe counter in her shop (above).
Behind her are the pscfcsgss of dried hsrbs she
sells. She also keeps her herbs in view of the
customers by putting them in gallon stood jars
(left).
flao&eptes moth chasers. A mothchasefis a four
inch round sachet from a small print cotton material with
rickrack trim and a loop for hanging. It contains a pot
pourri which repells moths. u , ;
Well aware of the fun one has making sometHtfig by
oneself, Mrs. Buckwalter offers a number of craft kits
using herbs. One is a holiday spice cone kit which contains
eveiything needed to make a Christmas tree ornament or
■> table favor - a five to seven jnch pin* \d lots of
a . .ut avor - a five to seven inch pine cope am.
different spices which are to be glued onto the' scales. The
craftsperson must supply the glue.
Mrs. Buckwalter also stocks oils which she purchases to
resell. “It takes 125 pounds of leaves to make one ounce of
oil,” die explains. “It would be impossible for me to grow
the quantities necessary for that!” The herbal oils are
used as fixitives in potpourri, as scents in wax for candle
making, and as a bath oils.
Just a sample of the many herbs and their interesting
histories, uses, and names are shared here from a
publication by Mrs. Buckwalter with her permission. She
cautions that medicinal prescription of herbs is illegal and
she simply relates the traditional use rather than actually
prescribing something in particular.
Angelica - a member of the parsley family. Stems are
candied for confectionery. Powdered seeds may be used
as vanilla substitute.
Basil - plant with tomatoes to enhance their taste and
deter tomoto worms and flies.
Bay leaves - used by Greeks in making wreaths to crown
Olympic heroes, Repels silverfish in books.
Caraway seeds - reputed to strengthen memory.
Cloves-from Madagascar-used in spiced drinks, pickled
fruits.*
Coriander seeds - ingredient in a love potion.
Savory - slightly peppery taste; excellent seasoning for
people on a salt-free diet.
Southern Wood - nicknamed “Lad’s Love”-promotes
growth of beards in youth. Used to repel moths. Also
burned as incense to destroy cooking odors in the house.
Tansy - slightly bitter taste. Ant repellent.
Costmary - mainly to scent linens. Called Bible-leaf,
was used as page markers.
Santolina - (Lavendar-cotton) deters moths.
Burnet - brings taste of cucumber to salads or wine cup-
Nasturtiums - flower, buds, stems and young leaves -
eaten in salads.
t r v
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