Keeping the vampires at bay.

I was perusing TV Guide when a little headline caught my eye.  Is vervain real?  Seriously?  As you might have guessed, I was compelled to read it.  Apparently The Vampire Diaries has decided to tweak the vampire mythos and use vervain instead of garlic.  Though it seems that vervain is about as powerful as an actual crucifix in this series.  Some colloquial names for it are Holy Herb and Herb-of-the-Cross, which I guess is what inspired the writers to use it.  Personally, I think they should use valerian to keep the vampires away.  The smell alone could kill you.