Herbs Galore sprouts community and togetherness
Vendors and visitors connect over fresh herbs and handmade goods at Maymont’s annual Herbs Galore event. Photo by Emily Fuller.
Lelia Contee, Contributing Writer
Families, friends and gardening enthusiasts grabbed their wagons as Maymont welcomed them to the 40th annual Herbs Galore at the Carriage House Lawn on April 26, according to its press release.
Over 70 vendors from across Virginia, ranging from as big as the Colesville Nursery Inc. to small specialty growers that specialize in native plants, ornamental shrubs and pepper plants, were present at one of Richmond’s biggest one-day plant sales, according to Melissa Abernathy, Maymont’s communications manager.
The event featured artisanal vendors that created house decor, gardening accessories, natural beauty products and foods from natural and organic ingredients, Abernathy said.
Herbs Galore offered several family-friendly activities, such as a bingo game where attendees used pictures and heavy-duty research to match items on their card and planting stations where children could plant native milkweed seeds to take home, according to Abernathy.
“We’re here for people to have a little bit of Mother Nature and the urban environment,” Abernathy said.
Maymont aimed to engage the Richmond community with both the nature and history of Richmond, according to Abernathy.
Abernathy said that years ago, a mansion was left to the city of Richmond, and architects worked to design the gardens. Since then, Maymont has ensured that the grounds and gardens are well-maintained while raising money and educating Richmonders about gardening.
Maymont has worked with the International Herb Society for over 15 years to help educate the public about their favorite herbs, Abernathy said. This year’s herb of the year is the Chamomile, according to Maymont’s website.
“We hope it inspired people with a love of gardening and learning new plants and new techniques for adding variety and beauty to their gardens,” Abernathy said. “It’s just wonderful to explore Maymont. So we encourage people not to just come and grab some plants and leaves, but to really spend the day here.”
For vendors like I Kale Life, Herbs Galore was an opportunity to be around a lot of plants, plant enthusiasts and those excited about gardening, according to Imani Esparza Pitman, the co-founder and CEO of I Kale Life.
I Kale Life is a Richmond-based company that creates nutrient-rich salads and plant-based bites for healthy living, Pitman said.
Pitman started I Kale Life in August 2023 to provide healthy, fresh food options inspired by her experience as a Type 1 diabetic with limited nutritious and low-sugar options and her family’s legacy of vegetarianism and appreciation for the Earth, Pitman said.
“The inspiration comes from really wanting us to live in a world where we’re all living vibrantly, joyously,” Pitman said. “Food is a critical part of that — what we put in our bodies and how that translates to how we can move in the world.”
I Kale Life works out of Hatch Kitchen, where they innovate different flavor profiles due to their love of global cultures and each offering has a legacy to it, she said. They use food as a way to connect, but also nourish.
Pitman said she wanted to inspire an idea of what the full life of gardening would look like, from planting the seed to nourishing the plant.
Gardening means hope and reminds us that we are not forgetting where we came from and are a part of this Earth, according to Pitman.
“It brings me hope to know that we can plant a seed, watch it grow, water it and then it serves some sort of purpose either for us, for animals or whatever it might be,” Pitman said.
Jesse Gritzinger, founder of Throws Like a Girl Ceramics and a VCU alumni, was inspired by People Via Plants and Maymont’s history of uplifting artists to participate in this year’s event.
The name “Throws Like a Girl” is a commentary on the historically women-based practice that men tend to get recognized for, but also a pottery pun, Gritzinger said.
Gritzinger said Throws Like a Girl Ceramics started with their love for pottery and community.
“It all comes back to community, pottery studios are very peer-oriented,” Gritzinger said. “My community support is what really drove it home for me and motivates me to keep going, to keep making, to keep teaching.”
Gritzinger’s pottery style involves using real plants to screen print onto paper, which is then transferred to the pot, they said. They collect plants from the farmer’s market, on little walks or at their studio’s garden, according to Gritzinger.
Gritzinger said events like Herbs Galore are important because they bring people together who share the same passion for plants and creativity.
“To have a space to connect with the people around you, kind of like a studio, is important,” Gritzinger said. “Herbs Galore does a really good job with bringing people together.”
