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The herb garden at Surratt House Museum exhibits many of the herbs which were important to running the household in Victorian times. Herbs were essential for the myriad cooking, housekeeping, and "Dr. Mom" tasks that made up a typical day for Mrs. Surratt. As important as her use of herbs to flavor the food she prepared for her family and tavern guests, was the use of herbs in medicinal applications. Everything from treating fevers to settling upset tummies to relieving female complaints were treated with herbs. Herbs also were important in keeping the house; herbs were put to use as cosmetics, dyes, cleaners, insect repellants, air fresheners and sachets.
A typical kitchen garden of the 1850s would include "Marigolds to keep the bugs away, Coreopsis for dyeing wool, Cone Flowers for colds, Hyssop for sore throats, Peppermint and Chamomile for upset stomachs, Sage to improve memory, Tansy to ward of insects, Lavender for sachets, Parsley for cooking and to ease the pain of bee stings, Basil (used with nutmeg) to help ease childbirth pains, Chives for cooking, Marjoram and Thyme for softening skin, Dill for colicky children, and Lemon Balm for melancholia."1
An inventory of the herbs which grow in the Surratt House garden is as follows:
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A Victorian Herb Garden
