The greening of the thumb
Master Gardeners from Sonoma Valley have teamed up with high schoolers from the Sonoma Ecology EnviroLeaders program to plant an herb garden at Sonoma Garden Park.
Designed by Master Gardeners Bonnie Walner and Seth Dolinsky, the herb garden features three elliptic growing rows on either side of a developed walking path, creating a graphic ripple effect. The design allows for the maximum use of space and sun exposure.
Specific herbs were selected for their fragrance, flavor, beauty and value. For optimum visual effect, plants were placed from low growing plants in the front arcs to medium height plants in the middle arcs, to larger plants in the outer arcs. Herbs that produce a high yield for culinary, medicinal and bath products for the home were considered, as was sale-able product for the Sonoma Garden Park’s harvest market.
Low growing herbs include thyme, oregano, marjoram, chamomile, tarragon, savory, chervil, parsley and chives. Medium height herbs include sage, lavender, rue, bergamot, foxglove, hyssop, and lemon balm. The taller herb plants include rosemary, lemon verbena, valerian, pineapple sage, goji berry, lovage, and lemon grass.
Yellow calendulas, prized for their bright color and versatility, were planted throughout the garden. Both the flowers and the foliage are edible, and the plant has terrific pest-fighting abilities that attract “good bugs” into the garden and help repel the bad guys. Invasive herbs such as mints were left to be planted in pots or boxes to control their spreading roots.
The Sonoma Ecology EnviroLeaders, led by Tony Passantino, Environmental Educator for the Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC), is a unique group of high school students participating in a program under the sponsorship of the SEC, which fosters environmentally educated community leaders with valuable experiences, skills and tools needed to tackle the critical challenges of tomorrow’s environmental and agricultural issues. Participating EnviroLeaders included Elise Tomko, Parker Bacon, Drew Harter, Emily Webber, Alejandro Cabrera, Daniella Baron, and Adrian Cabrera.
Master Gardener participants in the March 30 outing included Sonoma Valley’s Master Gardeners leader Dave Gould, Bonnie Walner, Gail Wolf, Linda Garaicotchea, Suzanne Young, Susan Angell, Johanna Patri, Sally Sands, and Seth Dolinsky.
Under the auspices of the University of California, Master Gardeners are trained volunteers whose mission is to provide quality, science-based information to home gardeners in Sonoma County. After completing an extensive training program in plant science and 50 hours of community volunteer work, the Master Gardeners volunteer in Master Gardeners approved community projects such as the Sonoma Garden Park and the Community Center and as advisers at public farmers markets.
The herb garden is within the portion of the Sonoma Garden Park Master Plan designed by Karen Boness, Sun gardening editor and owner of Wild Willow Landscape Design.
The Park, located at 19996 7th Street East, the Sonoma Garden Park, is a public park owned by the City of Sonoma. a 6.1-acre working farm, model of sustainable agriculture, center of education and community workshops and vibrant gathering place, with a harvest market open to the public on Saturday mornings year round.
