Richland Creek Herb and Flower Farm

A dog named Catnip?

Absolutely. Catnip - a large, friendly Black Lab - is the official 'greeter' at Richland Creek Herb and Flower Farm near Seagrove, N.C. She has a habit of snapping at the tires of arriving vehicles, leading her owner, Joe Britt, to wonder what she'd do with an RV if she ever caught one.

The farm is a colorful, vibrant place filled with plants, shrubs, herbs, and flowers - many of them ready to be tucked into a shelf of an RV for color or to give an added fresh taste at dinner.

Jeanne and Joe Britt started the farm 16 years ago on the patio of their house. They used plastic kiddie wading pools to hold the 600 seedlings they planted, hauling them inside on frosty nights. They sold the herbs at the local farmers market.

A year later, they moved to the farm, a spacious, open area with greenhouses and a rambling gift shop surrounded by acres of pastures, neatly-plowed fields, and woodlands. Small wonder that the hostas, honeysuckle, and pansies bloom so happily.

While the potted plants are popular, herbs are the Britts' specialty. Culinary and medicinal herbs overflow from tables in the greenhouse. The varieties read like the index from an herb encyclopedia: peppermint, lemon verbena, chamomile, basil, rosemary, and lavender, just for starters. If they don't grow it, it probably isn't grown.

The gift shop requires a lot of browsing time. Books on herbs, herbal gardening, baking with herbs, and using herbs for weddings and other special occasions fill the bookshelves lining one wall. While the gallery of bird houses and lawn angels might not be useful for RV living, the hammocks could be, and the bath oils are a nice touch for the morning shower.

Maybe the most inviting room beckons with the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee. Visitors try the flavor of the day with a fresh pastry and can plan to return for the "coffee tasting nights."

Hosted by Catnip the Dog, of course.

Richland Creek Herb and Flower Farm in Seagrove, NC, is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be reached at (336) 879- 2545 or herbs@asheboro.com or www.richlandcreekherbfarm.com.
-0-