Local Earth Day

My city celebrates Earth Day on April 18, 2009 with a fair in a downtown park. As part of an effort to support the honey bee population, restore heirloom variety plants, and to add beauty to every domain, I will be helping to fill envelopes with anise hyssop seed to give to visitors meandering through the park.

Many years ago, I discovered this herb. In my garden, the deer and rabbits ignored its presence. What is distinctive about anise hyssop? The leaves make a delicious licorice flavored herbal tea. When clipped and hung upside down to dry, the purple spears of flowers add fragrant beauty to winter flower arrangements.

If you can plant this near a window, you’ll be entertained for hours as bees diligently work along each spike getting the nectar and moving pollen and the butterflies flit among the blossoms. You might get lucky and have a hummingbird visit.Although the tea is delicious there is also a beneficial element.

Anise hyssop makes a wonderful digestive aid, breath freshener and has been purported to support lactation in nursing mothers. You can use this similar to any of the plants in the mint family. Since this plant produces abundant seed—will self seed once started—you should be able to find an organic variety. Many seed savers on the internet sell quality heirloom seeds.


A favorite is Kitchen Garden Seeds