Winter Remedies from the Garden

Learn about the long history of herbs as medicine.

Botanic gardens and medicine share a long history. Many of the earliest European botanic gardens began as a physic garden, dedicated to teaching, growing and using medicinal plants. This workshop will begin with a special visit to the Daniel Solander Library, where centuries old historical medicinal texts reveal how plants were once studied, recorded and used for healing.

We then visit the Herb Garden to learn about the long history of herbs as medicine. This living collection includes many familiar plants, and even some common weeds, that have been valued for centuries for their practical and healing properties.

Learn about the properties of prized plants including Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) and the citrus and mint plant families. We will then blend our own warming teas using traditional plants and learn simple ways to incorporate plant and herbal knowledge into everyday life.

Recommended for ages 16+.