Herbs aren’t just for eating: New JoCo class celebrates beauty of edible plants
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Johnson County's arboretum offers weekly herb-focused drawing classes.
- Classes pair herb botany lessons with hands-on sketching in the garden.
- Strong attendance extended sessions into fall and added new October dates.
If you’re looking for some inspiration to make some summer art, the Overland Park Arboretum might have just the thing. The Johnson County garden has been offering weekly classes focused on drawing and learning about herbs.
“Most herbs, if you think about it, are really finely textured. They have little leaves and little flowers, so that provides a lot of detail to observe,” said Katharine Garrison, education coordinator for the arboretum.
The classes are unlike anything the arborteum has offered before, Garrison said. They’ve gotten a good response and have been extended into the fall.
For this series of classes, artist Jill Tichenor is partnering with Mary Matthew from Johnson County Extension’s master gardener program. Matthew gives participants an overview on growing conditions and uses for the themed herbs each week.
Garrison said the arboretum often gets calls from people in the community asking what to do with herbs once they’ve grown them in their garden.
“We’ve never had any (class) that’s combined observational drawing and how to grow a plant,” Garrison said.
Tichenor is enthusiastic about herbal remedies and wants to encourage people to learn more about herbs.
“Every spring, I very much enjoy drawing plants and herbs, and I love that the arboretum has its own little herb garden area. It’s overlooked, I think, sometimes, and so I really want to pull it out to people and say, ‘Look at what they’re doing here,’” she said.
There’s no skill level requirement for the class, though participants must be at least 14 years old.
Even with no prior experience, Leawood resident Jackie Summers enjoyed a class in early July.
“I don’t know anything about herbs. I don’t know anything about drawing. It got me out of my box. It’s been fun,” Summers said.
Each week, Tichenor and Matthew are focusing on two herbs. Recent pairings have included marjoram and sumac, as well as thyme and oregano.
To balance the two herbs for each week, Tichenor found two that either were similar with subtle differences or were completely opposite, either in their appearances or in the way you use them.
In the class, they talk about the herbs, then take the group out to the herb garden to see the growing plants.
“How do you draw something that’s so delicate and so small? I’ll do a demo of how adding a background will help show the delicacy of it,” Tichenor said.
She also advises students on what papers, pencils and pens are better for making different types of lines. Tichenor said she hopes the information from Matthew allows people to create thriving herb gardens of their own.
Because there has been a fair amount of interest in these drawing classes, the arboretum has already added another class in mid-October and may add more.
“Anything creative can really heighten experience of being at the arboretum,” Tichenor said.
Sometimes, people feel self-conscious about bringing art supplies and independently drawing or painting at the arboretum, Tichenor said. Attending a class like this one lets them try it out without standing out, since they will be in a group.
Classes are $50, and you can sign up at opkansas.org/events/?category=18. The July 19 class will focus on stevia and horseradish, and July 26 will look at chamomile and sage. All classes run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.