Innisfree’s herb garden spun off from the vegetable garden, becoming a separate work area in the 1990’s. This approximately one-acre garden, including a small greenhouse and a hoophouse, operates year-round and employs organic, sustainable practices.
The herb garden provides culinary and medicinal herbs as well as flowers to Innisfree’s residential houses and to Innisfree’s community-supported agriculture project, Innisfree Community Gardens. In addition, the herb garden sells herbs and flowers at local farmers’ markets. Herbs include basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, melissa, lemongrass, and various mints. Flowers include dahlias, tuberose, lilies, and celosias.
The herb garden also operates a custom-grown nursery business, offering potted herbs, flowers, and vegetables to subscribers. Available items change from season to season. Please contact us for a list of current plant offerings.
The herb garden takes on other projects as well. It incorporates plants from the garden into herbal soaps, salves, and teas to sell at farmers’ markets and craft fairs, and it helps organize Innisfree’s equinox and solstice celebrations. In addition, the herb garden hosts interns each growing season.
Innisfree residents (coworkers) and volunteer caregivers participate in the herb garden on many levels. They plant, cut, and dry herbs. They pick flowers, weed and mulch, manage grow lights, grind herbs and fill tea bags, mix potting soil and fill pots, and make and felt soap.
For information about buying shares in Innisfree Community Gardens, purchasing custom-grown nursery plants, or becoming an herb garden intern, email herbgarden@innisfreevillage.org or call 434-823-4008.
