An incomplete as hell herbalist, the science and folklore of the plants, how to grow, how to serve to cure or to kill. Company can be so bothersome, but sure, come in and have a nice cup of tea?
People always tell me that snakes in the garden mean you have a healthy ecosystem going on. That’s true. But when you walk across the yard and see multiple sets of slithery waves in the grass at the same time, it’s a different story. Snakes go away in the winter here. This is how […]
Starting a moon garden, to bring the senses, and memories to life
A moon garden consists of plants which flower in the twilight, or at night, usually releasing a rich, fragrant scent, bordering on the intoxicating. Some are simply white, a border in the background as they stand out in the dark. But a moon garden is meant to trigger all your senses, and your imagination
The Witch’s Garden, Spring 2021: On light, structure, what survived the winter and the witch’s gardener’s best friend
The hallmark of a witch’s garden is that traditionally, it isn’t really a garden. There were certain herbs that a person might have kept near the cottage door, as they were in regular use. But certainly, when witchcraft carried a death sentence, you wouldn’t cultivate plants that could land you on a pyre. Instead, the witch’s garden was […]
Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger): It gave oracles their sight and made witches fly, yellow blossoms on one of the darkest of plants inhabiting a deadly corner of the Witch’s Garden
The henbane’s first effect was purely physical discomfort. My limbs lost certainty, pains hammered in my head, and I began to feel extremely giddy….I went to the mirror and was able to distinguish my face, but more dimly than normal. It looked flushed and must have been so. I had the feeling that my head […]
Primrose flowers in a witch’s garden: A gift to, and protection from fairies, tokens for the dead and Evening Primrose for a moon garden
Top: Evening Primrose flowers growing in the fairy section of a witch’s garden Thinking of you while out for a rambleDown by a cold frosty streamSet down on a bed of hemlocks and primrosesAnd gently I fell into a dreamI dreamed I saw a pretty fair maidenSuch beauty I’d never saw beforeHer dress was bound […]
Monkshood: A deadly poison and essential ingredient in witch’s flying ointments comes back in the witch’s garden
Monkshood is one of the more deadly plants in the witch’s garden. It was also one of the plants closely associated with the witch’s flying ointment. A look at this diabolical botanical, and how it differs from its cousin, the legendary wolfsbane.
