Herb Society hosts May plant sale at Beechwood Farms

Herb enthusiasts, or “herbies,” should mark their calendars for the annual plant sale at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve.

The event is a week earlier than usual this year. Hosted by the Western PA Unit of the Herb Society of America, it will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11 at Beechwood Farms, 614 Dorseyville Road, Fox Chapel. Admission is free.

Featured herb of the year is Anise Hyssop, a perfect choice for herb gardens and borders, with its fuzzy purple flowers. Attendees can learn about the licorice-scented plant and up to 1,500 others, said unit chair Rin Babson, of O’Hara.

The show’s ever-popular garden market features herbal items handmade by unit members, hard-to-find books and other fun finds for the yard.

Gardeners are suggested to get an early start, Babson said.

“It is highly recommended that shoppers come early for the best selection,” she said.

Pre-sale orders are encouraged, Babson said. Order forms are available at westernpahsa.org

Founded in 1958, the Western PA Unit aims to boost the knowledge and use of herbs.

Meetings are the third Monday of each month at Phipps Garden Center or other botanical spots.

The unit has a long and storied history, including early members Mary Lawrence, whose family built Hartwood Acres, and Rachel Hunt, a founding member whose love of nature inspired the 1961 dedication of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University.

Unit members maintain the Elizabethan Herb Garden at Mellon Park in Shadyside and culinary herb planters at the Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara, among others across the region.

“Our members have contributed design advice, special herbs and gardening assistance to almost every herb garden in the region,” Babson said.