| Gardening |
| Garden Therapy on a Balcony by Branwen Until recently I thought I had a "black thumb." That is, I killed every plant that came into my house - even the cactus! For years, I made no attempts to grow anything, believing that it was somewhat unethical to intentionally take responsibility for a living plant and then kill it for no reason. Thanks to my cat, Mojo, I am now the proud caretaker of a balcony herb garden. I'd like to tell you about my little garden because it has been of immense value to me, far beyond the value of the herbs I harvest. Mojo, a ten-year-old orange and white tabby, loves catnip. I mean, he really loves it, can't get enough of it. A while back a friend gave me some fresh catnip from her garden (she gave me lots of fresh herbs and now we can trade!). Mojo was elated, ecstatic, totally possessed. He seemed to think this was the most wonderful substance in the world and he reveled in rolling on the floor and rubbing his face in it. Of course, most cats do this even with dried catnip, but believe me, the experience appears to be much more intense with the fresh herb. Since I want my cat to be as happy as possible, naturally I decided to grow some catnip. Fearing my usual lethal effect on plants, I decided to put a pot out on the balcony. It was just a small pot and one small plant, surely I could keep it alive. Catnip grows well in sunny areas, and this is southern California after all. Maybe I could get away with it! The catnip flourished in that little pot, but soon was prey to a very deadly predator - Mojo, of course. He is an indoor cat who loves to sit on the rail of the balcony where he can safely watch the world's activities and enjoy the ocean breeze. However, upon discovering his favorite plant actually growing on his very own balcony he preceded to eat it, bit by bit. I had two choices - get rid of the catnip or barricade it so that Mojo couldn't get to it. (I guess there's really a third choice, but I could never get rid of Mojo.) I had the potted plant on the rail which is about 7 inches wide, so I decided to put a couple of plants on each side of it to keep Mojo away. Thus was born my balcony herb garden. At first I just added enough to protect the catnip. Then I realized that all the plants were doing well. I wasn't killing them! I added more....and more. My tiny garden now contains mint, peppermint, two kinds of lavender, rosemary, chamomile, rue, two kinds of sage, pennyroyal, licorice, lovage, wormwood, feverfew, two varieties of basil, lemon balm, lemon verbena, thyme, dill, and of course, catnip! It's a jungle out there! It's taken some trial and error to keep them healthy - for example, some need more water than others, especially in this hot climate. But most herbs seem to be fairly hardy and tend to forgive us a few mistakes till we get the hang of it. I've done a lot of repotting into larger containers, separating plants that don't grow well together, and in general, learning a lot about growing herbs. The odor on my balcony is wonderful, and as I harvest plants and bring them in to dry, my apartment smells wonderful too. I always have fresh herbs on my altars and dried bundles of herbs in doorways. I have fresh chamomile tea whenever I want it and feverfew tea to drive away headaches! Naturally, many of my rituals and magick workings now have the benefit of fresh herbs. These benefits are ones you probably would expect from an herb garden. However, some of the unexpected benefits were the most welcome of all. As pagans we all know that we should spend some time getting close to nature. Walks in a forest would be terrific, but I haven't seen a forest since I got to California (I hear there are some, but not near here). Walking on the beach is great too, but for me at least, it doesn't replace the sense of peace I get from the woods back home. Urban witches and pagans often have difficulties in getting to a natural place for meditation and communing with the Goddess among her creations. My tiny herb garden has given a little of that back to me. Each morning I go out on the balcony and check every plant. Some will need water before the sun comes out. Others need to have fallen leaves removed from the pots. Buds may need to be picked so that the plant will become bushy instead of flowering early. Every plant needs something, even if it is only an encouraging word or two. While carrying out these small tasks I get the feeling once again of being in a forest, surrounded by nature and being healed by its gifts. The last two years have not been easy ones for me personally. I believe the Goddess gave this garden to me (through Mojo) to help me through the worst times. I know she lives in each plant and it reminds me that she lives in me too. I see her grow and flourish and know that I may too, in time. A plant that is weak, wilting and turning yellow can be revitalized into a glorious array of green. Each of us is a bit wilted at times, but we too can be healed with her love. Thus, my garden has become a kind of therapy for me, reviving my spirit every time I take the time to really enter into to it and become a part of it, participating in the Goddess's work and hopefully, carrying that into the rest of my life's work. My small herb garden has become central to my life as a pagan, and through its natural healing qualities, it has helped me a great deal. You don't need a lot of space or even a "green thumb" to have this kind of garden, and you might find yourself walking in the forest again, just a little closer to home. Afterword: I'm sure you can guess which plant is the largest, healthiest, most glorious of all - the catnip, of course! Mojo now has fresh catnip whenever he wants it. This plant seems to renew itself constantly, getting bigger with each harvesting, and providing Mojo with a constant supply of his favoite herb. She does take care of her own, doesn't she? |
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| Herbal Garland With Samhain rapidly approaching, it is time to think about preparing for the holiday and the rituals you will perform. Why not include your child in making an herbal garland for your altar? Supplies Needed: Long dried stands of the following herbs: Bergamont Lavender Rose (climbing varieties work better) Thyme You will also need raffia, garden shears and dried Star Anise Instructions: Carefully remove any thorns from the roses using the garden shears. Braid long strands of dried herbs together carefully. Ties each end of the braid with raffia. Place on altar and sprinkle with Star Anise. By: Lady Skye |
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