Fennel Herb
Fennel is one of St. Hildegard’s prized herbs. In her work, Physica, she wrote: “Fennel has a mild heat and is of neither a dry nor cold nature… In whatever…
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Lavender Herb
There are a handful of herbs which are indispensable to our gardens. Lavender is one of our cherished herbs. The entry in Hildegard’s work Physica is brief, however it is…
Yarrow Herb
St. Hildegard likely spent many hours of her life working in the monastery infirmary – first at the male Benedictine Monastery at Disibodenberg where she was tithed as a child,…
Hops Flower
Hops is most well-known for its use in making beer. This is true not only today, but was true in Hildegard’s time and for thousands of years earlier. With further…
Calendula Herb
Calendula is a beautiful herb. It’s yellow-orange flowers (not to be confused with marigolds) brighten our herb gardens. In addition, they make a brilliantly colored moisturizing salve when infused in…
Horehound Herb
“Horehound is hot, has much moisture, and is effective against various infirmities” (24). Horehound is a bitter herb that has been used for centuries for a wide range of ailments,…
Oregano Herb
Oregano is a common culinary herb. It seems, however, that Hildegard did not use oregano as a common kitchen herb. She used oregano for medicinal purposes only. She actually felt…
Quince Fruit Tree and Ornamental Quince Bushes
There are a handful of foods that are readily identified with Hildegard including quince fruit. In her description of quince in Physica, she notes that it is healthy and not harmful…
The Magnolia Tree
One of the prized trees in our gardens is the beautiful magnolia tree between the church and the house (former rectory). The tree was planted in 1964 on the occasion…
Honey Bee Hive
In addition to the diverse gardens, it would have been customary for a medieval monastery to keep honeybees. We have a hive on the neighboring Hildegard Haus property. The bees…