Herbs have many virtues for garden ecosystems, and need to be understood as integral to garden spaces. As such, incorporating herbs into new and old garden spaces should be done consciously and intentionally. This workshop explores the virtues of herbs for garden ecosystems, and engages participants in a discussion about specific herbs’ virtues for edible crops, for soil, for insects, and for the garden’s human tenders. 

We will start off by delving into how herbs benefit non-human life in the garden. We’ll cover companion planting between herbs and edible crops, the nutrients that herbs bring to the soil, how herbs can be an asset to compost, and their key role in attracting beneficial insects to the garden. We’ll also talk about how herbs should be some of the top plants you reach for when creating fruit tree guilds (permaculture practice)! 

We will then discuss the virtues that herbs bring to the garden’s human tenders. We’ll examine the sensory & therapeutic virtues of herbs, how herbs in gardens can play a key role in helping us connect us to our culture and ancestry, and how herbs can support our health and wellbeing. We’ll conclude by talking through how to make simple herbal preparations, and there will even be an end-of-evening giveaway of a locally-made herbal remedy made by the presenter!