More About the Garden

The garden’s walls are made from local stone. The millstone in the center was retrieved from an old mill site on Fall Creek. The split rail fence is made of rot-resistant black locust grown in the Mundy Wildflower Garden.

Garden History

The Robison York State Herb Garden was the boisterous playground of the Forest Home Elementary School, which closed in 1964, and later became the Lewis Education Center. The idea of an herb garden was championed by Cornell Botanic Gardens’ then-editor Audrey Harkness O'Connor, and director Richard M. Lewis, who sketched the original design on a napkin! In 1974, the herb garden was dedicated to Doris Burgess Robison, an accomplished gardener, as a gift from her husband, Ellis H. Robison '18. A local group, the Auraca Herbarists, also provide support for this garden. Members also create various herb-related items sold in our Garden Gift Shop.