Gardening when you do not have a green thumb. And where you live with endless gnats that dive bomb into your nose & ears.

Gardening is this week's thread & it is a good one. I have four raised beds  in the only place in our backyard  that gets sunshine. One bed has it's potting mixture & the other three remain empty. I need more compost, ours is not ready so we will have to buy more. I do not really like to garden, at least not here in Lynchburg. We are the "Gnat Capital of The World" & they are horrid. We also have mosquitoes but the gnats are the bigger problem. Well, actually the really big problem is deer. We have a huge population of city dwelling deer. Lynchburg has a lot of green space. Our backyards all flow into a wooded area & all of the more distant neighbors have woods, too. We also have creeks & springs in the Burg. And we are in the city.
What I really like to do is can & pickle. I love my pressure cooker. I get a thrill just looking in my pantry knowing that if the world comes to an end, I can feed us for a while, even without electricity. I also make our bread, mustard, ketchup & frequently mayonnaise.

That all said, I feel like I have to try to grow vegetables so that I can "put them up."  I am going to send Barry out for compost & he can mix it with the vermiculite & peat moss & get it all in the beds. Then I will seed. It may be too late for some things. I may have to buy plants. Rats. At any rate, I will get something in the ground soon & go weed, too. 

The Gift Of Gardening

In some ways this is my favorite time of the year. I love the way that life seems to spring forth all over. And best of all it is the time to start planting. Whether it is flowers, vegetables, trees, or any other I love the process of gardening. I have always loved to have my hands in the dirt. I do not know how to explain it yet it gives me such a sense of energy. Vincent is constantly telling me to wear gloves while I work outdoors, yet for some reason I do not enjoy it as much. I want the feel of the earth right next to me. To cover my hands seem to somehow diminish the full effect it has. It was my grandfather and grandmother who gave me my love for gardening. I remember there garden with such fond memories. I remember my grandfather in his overalls, pulling an onion from the ground and taking the first layer off then giving it to me to eat; its sweet taste feeling me with joy. My favorite gifts from them: a pint jar filled with small sweet red onions. I can not to this day eat, cook, or plant an onion without thinking of them.

My grandmother gave me the gift of preparation of the harvest. By watching her I learned tricks on cooking, storing, and also drying. Unfortunately these days a root cellar is not an easy thing to find so I have to at times improvise. Still I hold some of her ways and recipes close to heart. She did things the old way, from start to finish. She showed me how to utilize all parts and have less waste. She taught me simplicity. She taught me her secrets and told me stories of how many of the items she used to cook with could be used for other things as well.

Their driveway into their small stone house by the railroad tracks was of crescent shape. In front of her home was a stone flower bed with a stone archway. In the summer it was lined with a multitude of color. Such flowers as pansies, asters, and violets lined the borders. Mint, Sage, Lavender, and Rosemary could also be found. I remember other small flowers that grew off to the side of her home near an old cellar that housed the water pump. This area always had the appearance of being neglected yet she would wander through it on occasions bringing back a handful of treasures. She called it her wild garden. I later learned that this was where her wild herbs grew. In it grew Mustard, Poke, Garlic,Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Thistle and so many others.

Also in their yard stood a stone wash house and a small stone storage shed. Further back a chicken yard and a large Mulberry Tree. I remember gathering Mulberries each summer; the bottom of our feet stained with the color red and purple. Grandma would tell us the tree was a watcher and guarded the home from lightning. As she would spread the jam made of its fruit on our toast she would tell us it would likewise guard us and make us strong.

In my yard today many of the same things grow as did in theirs. My Rosemary sits at the southeast corner on my house. I have planted more this year as I simply love its aroma. I credit my grandma with giving this love to me. She would slip a sprig of it under my pillow as I slept on the sofa outside her bedroom, telling me that it would keep me safe and make the bad dreams stay away. I would go to sleep with its fragrance surrounding me. Sweet Basil and Mint are also a part of my garden although I have them planted in large pots that I bring into the house as the year begins to get colder. I love having them fresh all year round. My Apple Mint makes a lovely cup of tea and is quite useful when I have a bit of an upset stomach. Simply chewing on a leaf lends the same effect. As for the Basil, it lends a wonderful taste to many of my dishes. And as my grandma would say, if there is a basil plant in the home, there will always be peace in the home. Sage and Lavender can also be found growing. I have an array of Sages, from blue to white and more.

Also in my yard are the multitude of wild herbs which seems to multiply as the years pass. At the moment the bottom of my yard towards the woods is covered with a multitude of wild flowers. Lambs ear, prairie clover, asters, dandelions, and more. Although I know that soon I will need to trim it, I leave it for a while as I love to see its color each morning.

At the time I did not realize the wisdom in so many of the words she spoke to me. I took for granted at times the gift that their environment gave to me. As time has passed, I find myself thinking back to my times with my grandparents, especially my grandmother. She is with me always. I feel her presence with me often, especially while I tend my own garden or am busy in my kitchen. She offers me remembrance of her wisdom to aid in my talents. The place they once lived has long been gone. There is no trace of their small stone home or other buildings. The garden area and Mulberry and Cherry trees have since been cut down. Yet still I can visit them anytime I please. I need only close my eyes and remember. I need only sit on the ground and feel the dirt fall through my fingers. I need only stand in my kitchen and cut my own herbs taken from my garden. They are both with me still.

Witching in the Garden

I have always believed that good Witch Craft, wether it’s spell casting, tincture or salve making, or simply paying respect to the spirits and guides of our path, relies on quality tools that are generally quick to hand. Centuries ago, our pagan ancestors didn’t have witchy internet communities from which to order their exotic and far flung spell ingredients. Likewise, most of them had limited resources, so expensive, hard to find ingredients were not an option. They had to make do with what was close by - what they could harvest from the world around them.

We may source these natural ingredients on our walks through the neighborhood or countryside, but for many lucky Witches, this means planting a garden. A well planned garden has obvious benefits - the herbs you use the most are quickly to hand, and you can put up quantities to dry or freeze for the dark half of the year. Further, planting and caring for your garden helps attune the vegetation to your energies and needs. We often ‘charge’ the herbs with our will before we use them. I firmly believe that plants that you have cared for a season or even for years may be more sensitive that charge, and may lend their energies to your workings more entirely. And for those of us who live in cities or away from the grander example of our deities work in the world, a garden can help us to be in tune with the cycles of nature and the Turning of the Wheel. A garden can be a small reminder for us all of the love the Great Mother, or Lady, or whomever you may know her by, has for the Earth and all of Her growing things.

If you aren’t an experienced gardener, start off slow. A garden is an investment in time and space - don’t bite off more than you can chew! Because time is always limited for me, I like to grow perennials - plants that grow constantly, instead of dying off in the fall and have to be replanted. I spend much less time replanting in the spring and fall.

For many of us city bound pagans, a full blown garden isn’t an option. Space may be limited, and those of us in apartments and condos may lack a yard to dig up and replant. There is hope for us all, however. Many useful herbs grow very well in pots with just a little light from a window. As you may know from last weeks blog, I keep a little window garden that is full of helpful, healthful herbs. I started with a few pots in a kitchen window, but have included plants in shelves near all the windows in my house. It takes some experimentation, to determine what plant did best where, but I’ve got it sorted out and am harvesting and using my herbs regularly!

To make the most of your garden, consider investing in a few good herbals - books that illustrate the uses and properties of these plants. Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, The Illustrated Herbal, by Philippa Back, and The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs by Richard Alan Miller are books on the subject that I found fascinating. Philippa Back’s work looks chiefly at the folkloric and contemporary medicinal uses of the herbs, while the other two books are more likely to outline the use of particular herbs as spell and ritual components.

Some easy plants to start with:

Basil is used in many, many prosperity spells. It is also used in love and divination spells, and there is folklore that suggests that basil attracts dragons! Basil is used to mend lovers' quarrels and brings good luck to a new home. There are many different types and flavors of basil, which is also a useful herb in the kitchen.

Catnip is considered easy to grow; besides bringing joy to your felines, herbalists have long claimed that a tea of catnip will settle an upset stomach and relieve flatulence. Magically, catnip leaves can bring luck in love, strengthen friendship, and bring happiness; according to Cunningham, giving catnip to your cat will help create a psychic bond between you two.

Chamomile has long been known for it’s sedative properties, but has also been used for digestive issues and calming nausea, as well as for reducing the pain from menstrual cramps. Magically, it is associated with the masculine aspect of the deity, so use it in rituals honoring Gods and the Sun. It is used ton remove hexes from a home and is a common ingredient in prosperity spells.

Lavender can bring peace and comfort to the home. Recent studies have found that lavender is one of the few natural scents carrying a chemical compound that has been proven to relax and calm the mind. Use in purification baths and rituals.

Mint is considered a healing herb, and mint laid on the altar can call good spirits to aid you in spell working. Use in spells for healing, cleaning, protection, prosperity. Tea made from mint can soothe the stomach and ease congestion.

These are just a few herbs and plants that are available for us to grow and use in our daily workings and rituals. I hope you find them helpful!