The Garden at 485 Elm
People growing together:
a collaborative community garden in Montpelier, Vermont

A Grateful Look Back: Garden Catnip Distilling Workshop

The garden gives us so much to be grateful for all year long. Today we express deep garden gratitude to Lauren Andrews, a Central Vermont nurse turned aromatherapist and Aromed Essentials proprietor. On a beautiful early September day, Lauren expanded our consciousness and first aid cabinets with catnip we grew!

Did you know that in addition to a feline recreational substance, catnip can be an effective insect repellent for humans? We didn’t either. Check out what we did and learned.
Okay, not everyone finds catnip appealing.

Let’s let Lauren tell us the rest! We’re grateful she recorded these two short, clear, fascinating videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdfIMNZyjzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJROtQ41–0

What happened to that vast catnip harvest? Gardeners took it home to dry and share with felines and other friends, make tea, or just enhance the scent of home—it’s a mint, after all.