Subject: Re: Sweet woodruff
From: [email-masked] (Mary Lee)
Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 20:46:25 GMT

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Galium odoratum            Sweet woodruff

You should be able to get some from a good garden store (one that
doesn't just sell annuals, but gets serious about perennials and
herbs).  It transplants easily.  I got some from a neighbor.  She dug
up about a square foot (hm, actually, more like a round foot), I took
it home and planted it, and it's growing nicely.

Okay, From Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs:

 Sweet woodruff is an attractive ground cover that broadcasts its
 aroma each May. Consider growing it as a low-maintenance carpet in a
 shaded spot in your yard.

 The leaves develop a distinctive scent of fresh-cut hay and vanilla
 only as they dry.  

 In Germany, where sweet woodruff is known as the Waldmeister (master
 of the forest), it is used to flavor May wine as a traditional way to
 greet this spring month.  The practice originated in the thirteenth
 century, and Germans still serve the Mai Bowle each day of the month.
 May Day celebrations have long marked the passage of winter, dating
 back to ancient Druid rituals.

 Can be propagated by seeds in the fall to produce plants the
 following spring; cold weather encourages them to germinate.
 However, it's easier to buy (or get plants from your neighbor
 ;^))because the seeds may take 200 days to germinate.

 Provide slightly acidic soil, rich in nutrients and humus; leaf mold
 compost is best. Keep soil moist.

 Harvest foliage when needed.  Stems may be cut close to the ground.
 Either hand-tie sprigs and hang them in a warm, airy place, or chop
 the herb immediately after harvesting and dry in a warm, shady place.

That's what Rodale said.
Mary Lee			;^o