Staff reports

The 2009 Spring Herb Festival returns to the WNC Farmers’ Market for its 20th year May 1, 2, and 3. Festival organizers expect at least 20,000 visitors to sample and buy from more than fifty growers and retailers offering everything from starter plants to a wide variety of herbal products and gifts.

Herbs have been part of human history since pre-Biblical times, and today they remain an essential part of life. Our parents and grandparents grew herbs for everyday use, and in today’s economic climate more people than ever are exploring the benefits of gardening for themselves. Many herbs are kitchen staples — basil, rosemary, oregano, or parsley, for example — but a much greater variety of herbs have become part of American culture as the public has discovered their wide range of uses in medicines, soaps, lotions, salves, and essential oils.

If it’s herbs, it’s here!
The huge variety of herb plants is the Festival’s main attraction, including one hands-down favorite: nearly every visitor takes home a six-pack of basil plants. There are varieties of such garden favorites as lavender, fennel, and dill, which are used for garden beauty, wonderful aromas, and, of course, good eating. In addition, health-conscious consumers, naturopaths, and alternative healers find fragrant herbal soaps and lotions, medicinal herbs, and a wide variety of clever and innovative herbal products as well as delightful herbal gifts in the form of decorative plants and fresh and dried herbal arrangements.

And, because growers and scientists constantly work on cross-breeding for flavor, size, pest resistance, appearance, and other plant qualities, new varieties of traditional herbs appear at the Festival every year.

Landscaping with herbs
Herb enthusiasts are also finding more reasons to plant herbs in the garden. Herbs provide a fascinating variety of colors, fragrances, textures, and shapes as well as being readily available for cooking or medicinal purposes. In times of drought, especially, herbs can be an attractive addition to the landscape. Many herbs are native to the Mediterranean or Middle East, where drought-tolerance is essential, and many are perennials. Since established perennial plants need less water than annuals, both qualities offer a major plus with today’s landscape designers. Here in the southeast, where drought is a growing and long-term issue, xeriscaping — the use of drought-tolerant plants and hardscapes — is becoming more important to homeowners every year.

There will also be expert advice available. Not only do the vendors propagate their own plants and manufacture their own products, but the NC Agricultural Extension Service will have a booth staffed with Master Gardeners to answer questions about herbiculture — and help guide Festival-goers to the right vendors to meet their needs. For homeowners who are conscientious about not wasting water when we do get showers, there will be rain barrels available for sale from Mountain Rainwater Systems.
The 2009 Spring Herb Festival is open Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free throughout the Farmers Market grounds; if you can’t find parking by the booths, a free shuttle will transport visitors during peak hours.