An early Henbane potion was dedicated to Apollo, the Greek god of healing and disease. A Henbane potion could cure the madness brought on by those under the influence of that other Greek deity, Dionysus and his own potions. In small doses however, a Henbane potion can be calming and act as a sedative, inducing […]
Witches Garden
Cleome Serrulata: A Native American addition to the witch’s garden and table, and a friend to bees and butterflies
You can’t overestimate the importance of bees in a witch’s garden, for our stinging friends help to pollinate. Just behind them in usefulness in this task are butterflies, and to attract both, plant a bit of Cleome in your herb garden. Additionally, many beekeepers love Cleome as it is an excellent source of nectar, resulting […]
Datura unfolding in the witch’s garden
This is my first year for growing Datura. Around here it’s known as Jimson Weed, though I believe what they call that here is a different animal altogether. It’s one of the staples of a witch’s garden, used for poisoning as well as inducing delirious states in whoever takes it. Intentionally or simply because they […]
Why a moon garden #3: Brugmansia tree bursts into bloom and lights up the moon garden
I admit I had doubts it would do it. The USDA lists our plant hardiness zone as 6b, which isn’t exactly this plant’s natural habitat. But it did it. There was a single bloom which last four or five days, and as it was dying off the whole trees burst into bloom. The first bloom would […]
What survived the winter in the witch’s garden?
Relatively speaking it was a nasty winter. It turned cold in November and is still a bit chilly most days in March, as well as dipping down below freezing at night. And tomorrow’s forecast is for rain, freezing rain and snow, So it’s not quite over yet. When the wind chill took us below zero, […]
Starting seeds indoors for a witch’s garden
I think my success in gardening for the past three years (and I’m not about to claim great success mind you, at best about a 75% success rate which was a C when I went to school back), has to do with not knowing anything about it prior to taking it up. Not that I […]
