Edible Jasper
Main Street
Edible Jasper
along Main Street
Unfortunately, KPB’s collaborative effort with the Downtown Development Authority was terminated in October 2022. These gardens are no longer on Main Street, but we left the page up because the spaces looked so nice and were a great example of urban foodscaping.
As you stroll down Main Street in downtown Jasper, you’ll notice garden spaces set into the sidewalk. These spaces have housed a variety of plants throughout the years; now Keep Pickens Beautiful and the Edible Jasper Team are slowly transitioning them to edible flowers, herbs, and other beneficial plants.
We aren’t pulling out the live plants, but since most of them are annuals, we’ll replace them with our foodscaping and permaculture plants.
Photos are in reverse order with the most recent first so you can see the garden today. Be sure to scroll down to see how it’s grown!
Click on the plant names to learn more, or click this button to drop to the plant info section:
About the Plants
Rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis) – Rosemary is an evergreen perennial native to the Mediterranean region, is drought resistance and thrives in dry, rocky, sandy and poor soil. It does well in Zones 7-10 and can live quite a long time!
The leaf is used as a culinary herb and the essential oil is for topical use only. Rosemary’s actions include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, a circulatory stimulant and as an antioxidant. Common uses for rosemary include headaches, memory difficulties, depression, baldness, arthritis and nervous tension. It is also helpful in fat and starch digestion.
Rosemary is not recommended during pregnancy beyond it’s normal use in food due to potential abortifacient effects. Look for Rosemary at the Keep Pickens Beautiful office and the Pickens Progress Office parking lot!
Basil
(Ocimum basilicum) – Basil commonly known as sweet basil is an annual that needs warm weather, fertile soil and full sun to grow and thrive.
It’s best to pinch off the flowers to prevent the plant from becoming “leggy” and continue growing throughout the season. The leaves are harvested and used in culinary dishes and pesto. Sweet basil is good for digestion and the nervous system.
Basil can help ease gas and relieve nausea and vomiting as well as providing treatment for depression, anxiety and insomnia. The leaves can also be crushed and used as a poultice to help with insect bites.
Lavender
(Lavandula officinalis or L. angustifolia) – Lavender thrives in zones 5-8 and prefers a warm, sunny and well-drained area. It also prefers a Mediterranean like climate. If the temperature drops below 20 degrees F the plant may need to mulched to survive.
The flowers are the primary part of the plant that is used. Lavender has antimicrobial, sedative, anxiolytic, antiseptic, antidepressant and carminative properties. It can be used to help stomach muscle spasms, relieve mild depression and anxiety, insomnia and headaches. A few drops of the essential oil of lavender in a bath is helpful for relaxation and is useful for burns.
Pregnant women should avoid lavender in large amounts. Those taking antidepressants, antiseizure medications, central nervous system depressants and lipid lowering medications should be cautious and consult their health care provider first before using lavender.
Lemon Balm
(Melissa Officinalis) – Lemon balm is a hardy perennial and thrives in a zones 4-8. It does well in full sun or partial shade and likes moist, but well drained soil. Once established it likes to take over being that it is part of the mint family, so be cautious where you plant.
The leaf is used medicinally in teas, tinctures, and in food and has an amazing lemon fragrance.
Lemon balm calms the digestive and nervous systems
Lemon Thyme
(Thymus citriodorus) – Lemon thyme is native to the Mediterranean region and thrives in a well-drained, sandy full sun location. It does well in zones 3-8.
The leaves and flowers are used and this is a favorite thyme variety for making tea due to its citrus aroma.
Lemon thyme has antibacterial, antiviral, expectorant and antifungal properties. It is helpful for respiratory tract infections and digestive upset. Lemon thyme is safe for standard culinary use, but it should not be used in large amounts internally during pregnancy and lactation.
German Thyme
(Thymus vulgaris) – Thyme is a perennial that grows in most climates (zones 3-8) and prefers well-drained and a sunny location.
The leaf and flower are used.
Thyme acts as an antimicrobial, antiviral, expectorant, antifungal and is helpful for colds and sore throats. It can also be used as a disinfectant externally as a wash to fight infections. Thyme is often infused in honey or made into a syrup to fight coughs and colds. Thyme is very safe; however, it should not be used in large amounts internally during pregnancy and lactation