Verona’s Jane Eliasof is now the administrative director of the Montclair Historical Society and she has let us know that the MHS will hold its 33rd Annual Herb Sale on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 5 through May 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sale takes place on the grounds of the Israel Crane House Museum, 110 Orange Road in Montclair. All of the plants are top quality, organic, and ready to plant in your garden.
This much anticipated annual sale features more than 75 varieties of organic herbs from Gilbertie’s Herb Farm. Expect to see many varieties of popular favorites like rosemary, basil, thyme, lavender and sage as well as less common ones like lovage, horseradish, and rue. (Hints on how to use: Lovage has a celery-like flavor you can add to lentil soup or a bolognese sauce. Homemade horseradish puts the jarred stuff to shame and it can also be used (or so they say) to help take the sting out of insect bites. And although the ancient Romans used rue as an antidote to snake bites, you can use it in vinegars or to help keep a room free of ants and flies.) In addition to the wide variety of herbs, the sale also includes lavender topiaries, hanging tomato baskets, and mixed herb containers.
Saturday, May 7, is Family Fun Day at the MHS, featuring a variety of activities for the whole family. Help your children make a Mother’s Day craft, see a beekeeper in action, stop in at the historic kitchen and watch food being prepared on the open hearth, take a tour of the Israel Crane House, and browse through the books, historic toys, and other items at the Museum Shop.
