Our History

1969

In 1969, The St. Louis Herb Society published the first edition of How to Grow Herbs in the Midwest. This work was the result of a collaboration between The St. Louis Herb Society and the Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG). In particular members of the Garden’s horticultural staff were involved. This booklet contains practical advice on planning and caring for home herb gardens, tips on propagating herbs, and short descriptions of many of the herbs that were most popular at that time.

The background for this booklet had been accumulating ever since the Herb Society was founded in 1941. Herb Society members gained practical experience by growing herbs in their own gardens and, since 1964, by tending an herb garden behind Tower Grove House (Henry Shaw’s country home) within the MBG.

In 1967 a “test garden” was established on the grounds of the MBG. In 1967 and 1968 herbs were grown in a variety of soils and careful records of herb growth were maintained. Photographs for the booklet were taken in the “test garden”, the herb garden behind Tower Grove house, and in the MBG greenhouses.

The Herb Society’s share of the printing costs was met primarily by a gala event entitled “Chefs’ Adventure In Cuisine” which was presented by Herb Society on the evening of January 15, 1969, in the auditorium of the Laclede Gas Company branch in Shrewsbury. The evening’s star chef was Anthony Bommarito of Tony’s restaurant.

In later years two more editions of How to Grow Herbs in the Midwest would be published. Each was larger than its predecessor, chronicling the ever-increasing popularity of growing herbs in the Midwest.

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