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Ruth P. Eccles Herb Garden

The Terrace Gardens, opened in 1996, consist of three unique thematic gardens: Herb, Medicinal, and Fragrance. Each garden shares several similar components, such as a wisteria covered entrance arbor, a cascading water fountain, a hand basin, meandering walk ways, and sandstone retaining walls.

The Ruth P. Eccles Herb Garden funded by the Willard Eccles Foundation in honor of Ruth Pierpont Eccles, contains plants used to flavor foods and beverages, including spices, vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers. The boxwood parterre is a common structural element in many herb gardens. Generally planted in diamonds or squares the designers of this garden wanted a more informal feel, thus ours are in stylistic long curves. Herbs are great Utah landscape plants. Many are very ornamental and drought tolerant, not to mention useful.

  • Our Herb Garden is divided into the following sections:
    • Beverage – lower terrace on east side (Rose hips, Hops on trellis, Bee Balm, Mint, Juniper, and Sassafras)
    • Culinary – in the boxwood parterre area, common kitchen herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Chives, Peppers)
    • Edible flowers – bed west of fountain that changes annually (Nasturtium, Borage, Dianthus, and Daylily, King’s spear, Saffron crocus)
    • Dyes – south of teaching arbor (Willow, Daylily, Roses)
Herb-Garden-fall

Photo: Susie McNutt, Red Butte Garden

Herb-Garden-staff-JB

Photo: Jason Baker, Red Butte Garden

Herb-Garden-July

Photo: Jayne Anderson, Red Butte Garden