MONTEREY, Mass. — In 2023 the Bidwell House Museum embarked on a project to revitalize their herb garden, one of a number of teaching gardens onsite. 

 

Funded by a grant from Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area and completed by Gardens of the Goddess, the old herb garden was cleared, the space was redesigned and new herbs were planted.  

 

In 2024, the Museum is hosting two workshops with Gardens of the Goddess on July 2 and 16, about designing and harvesting your very own herb garden.

 

First, on Tuesday July 2 at 10 a.m., join Gardens of the Goddess owner Pat Parkins as she explores how to plan an herb garden for both culinary and medicinal uses. You will have the opportunity to work on a rough design for your own herb garden and learn how to prepare the ground to receive your new plants. Bring your ideas, measurements of the area you would like to develop.

 

Then, on Tuesday July 16 at 10 a.m., in the 2nd herb garden workshop, Parkins will show you what to do when your herbs have sprouted and are ready to be harvested. Starting with a sampling of medicinal plants readily found in our area, we will talk about what to harvest, how to identify the plants, how to harvest, and ways to dry these plants. We will also talk about different ways to use herbal remedies, such as teas and tinctures, and how to prepare them.

 

Both workshops will last around an hour. Tickets for each event are $10 for Museum members and $20 for Non-Members.

 

Pat Parkins is the owner of Gardens of the Goddess, a Becket based company that has been working for over 25 years to enhance nature's beauty through artful landscape design, installation and maintenance.

 

These workshops are sponsored by the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area.

 

Both of these workshops will be presented at the Bidwell House Museum at 100 Art School Road in Monterey and due to limited space, pre-registration on the Museum website will be required. Tickets for both programs can be purchased on the Bidwell House Museum website at https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/events/