RUSHVILLE, Ind. — Joyce Miller remembers when she fell in love 20 years ago – with herbs. That love has lasted, and she will share it with others at the eighth annual Garden Fest at the Rush County Fairgrounds May 19, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

“Herbs smell so good. You can’t be in a bad mood when you’re around them. When weeding or transplanting, the fragrance is so wonderful. There are so many things you can do with them, from crafting to culinary,” Miller said.

She has turned her passion into a business, The Huckleberry Hutch, in downtown Rushville, where she sells herbal soaps, healing salves, eye pillows, sachets, bath products and herbal jams and jellies. Miller and other like-minded women make up the Rush County Master Gardeners and Friends, sponsor of the Garden Fest.

The main focus of the Fest is gardening products and information, with hourly programs such as “Gardening with Kids” at 9 a.m. and raising roses, the herb of the year. Other booths are staffed by Longaberger and jewelry vendors.

The Livestock Pavilion will be almost full with more than 30 vendors this year. “If we get more, we’ll just put some booths outside,” Miller said.

Many of the vendors and guests return each year, she added.

“I’m amazed at how it’s grown as people learn about it,” said Carole Yeend, director of the Rush County Solid Waste District, and booth vendor. “And I’m amazed at the vendors who show up year after year – their creativity and presentation of plants and garden accessories.

“We’re sharing resources; it’s win-win and the atmosphere is light, even if it’s rainy outside.”

The first 300 visitors will receive free garden bags made from recycled plastic, provided by Lee Valley Tools. A garden cart filled with gardening “goodies” and aids will be raffled for $1 per ticket. Miller said the proceeds will go toward a spring garden program open to the public and landscaping around the Rush County Courthouse.

“Garden Fest is a fun thing to look forward to each spring,” Yeend said. “It’s a fair amount of work, too, but we’ve got it down to a process. A lot of that’s due to Joyce.”

As organizer of the Garden Fest and a vendor at various garden shows, Miller is so busy that “spring fever” takes on a new meaning.

“There are not enough hours in the day at this time of year. I am a one-woman operation in my shop, and I can’t be at the shop except in the afternoons. And my family still expects supper on the table,” she said.

The love of gardening and trying something new keeps her focused. This year, she is using garden weeds in her menu.

“These used to be spring greens,” she explained. “Chickweed can be fresh leaves in a salad, and lambsquarters can be cooked down like spinach.”