The Fragrance of Herbs

Fragrance is one of the characteristics of herbs that appeals to me greatly. The scent of a rosemary bush when you brush by it, the aromas of gardenias and roses, mints and pelargonia, lavender, lemon verbena, and the lovely fragrance of this year’s long gone Meyer lemon blossoms are just a few of the wondrous olfactory delights of these herbal plants.

In December, the scents of fir, spruce, juniper and other evergreens herald the joyous season. Spices, too, increase odiferous delight. Cinnamon, clove, star anise, and ginger, embodied in baked goods, mulled ciders, or simmer pots create a warmth of feeling on the chilly winter days and nights.

Fragrances may evoke memories of those we have known and loved, cultivating delight.

I have been blessed through the years to meet some amazing herb enthusiasts. Each has taught me, nurtured me, encouraged me, and inspired me. Some are no longer in our midst, but remain safely in my heart. And so, as I conjure seasonal herb and spice aromas, I think of them.

In 1979, I met the only remaining living founder of The Herb Society of America, Ann Burrage. She was petite and feisty and introduced me to Coffee Nips from Holland. I have a treasured picture of her from a few years later with my dad, Rollie Remmel, an herbal treasure in his own right.

Three herbal stars were Nancy Howard, Caroline Cadwalader, and Joanna Reed. Each of them became dear to me. And while I do not have a fragrant plant to remind me of Caroline, I think of her often. As for Nancy and Joanna, Nancy’s cardamom plant has survived decades. Its leaves emit a nice scent when rubbed. Joanna’s apothecary rose resides along my fence, offering up the wonderful scent of roses in early summer.

Fuzzy Lord and Madeleine Hill provided plants, knowledge, books and friendship and dwell in my thoughts on a regular basis. Fuzzy taught me about jojoba and folklore – another passion of mine. Madeleine became a mentor and friend.

As for the first herbal enthusiast I met, who is happily still with us, I think of my mom, Ruth Remmel, who now has lost her sense of smell. She can remember scent, though, and delights in those memories.

As you surround yourself with the aromas of the holidays, who or what do they bring to mind? I hope the memories evoked are as special as mine…

submitted by Mary Remmel Wohlleb, former HSA President
Arkansas Unit, Southeast District

Herbal Memories of a Dear Friend

When I was a child in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, we had neighbors who had four children about the same ages as the four children in our family. Both of their parents were passionate about herbs and kept an herb garden, which they used regularly for seasoning their meals.

Fordham Webster Calhoun

The father was a physician. The mother, Fordham Webster Calhoun, was a loving and giving person and a wonderful cook. She grew up in an herbal family. Her mother, Helen Noyes Webster, wrote the book, Herbs – How To Grow Them and How To Use Them, in the late 1930s. She had been involved with the Herb Society in New England.

When I was a young bride, Fordham took me under her wing and taught me a great deal about herbs as she shared her love of them with me. She showed me how to make horehound candy. I still make it each year with one of her daughters. I trim the plants several times during the growing season and dry them. We make the horehound drops on a clear day each December in time for giving to family and friends at Christmas time. The candies take care of any throat irritations during the winter and are ready in time for cold and flu season. We have learned to store them in sealed plastic bags in the freezer to keep them crisp and hard indefinitely.

Source: The University of Arizona Press

When my friend Fordham was elderly, she fell and broke her hip on a beach in New England. I spoke with her about how she was doing and she said she was fine but did not like the food. It was tasteless without any herbs to season the meals. Hospital food! I knew she was getting better at that point.

Years later, when she was near death, her children included me in those final precious days and moments with her. What a gift it was to be there with each of them. I took a sprig of rosemary since the sense of smell is the last sense to go. I knew that she would appreciate the fact that rosemary symbolizes love, friendship and remembrance. We had shared all of these over the years.

submitted by Amy Borer, Unit chair, Philadelphia Unit

Editor’s notes

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned horehound from cough drops in 1989 due to insufficient evidence supporting its efficacy. However, horehound is currently widely used in Europe, and it can be found in European-made herbal cough remedies sold in the United States (for example, Ricola®).
• Members can borrow the book, Herbs – How To Grow Them and How To Use Them by Helen Noyes Webster, through The Herb Society of America’s library.