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Author Topic: Building a Magic Garden  (Read 3743 times)

Blackbird Sage

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Building a Magic Garden
« on: June 12, 2012, 12:28:33 am »
For those who grow gardens or use plants in spellwork, what plants do you have? What plants do you consider necessary for a well-rounded magic garden? Why?

Annie Roonie

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2012, 11:05:51 pm »
Quote from: Blackbird Sage;59602
For those who grow gardens or use plants in spellwork, what plants do you have? What plants do you consider necessary for a well-rounded magic garden? Why?

As soon as I get the fence painted, I begin work on just this thing! I have a few things in mind, but posted in Home & Garden for input as well to aide in the brainstorm.

I have a few things that I grow already in pots and in a little nick garden (things I nicked from the wild) and many friendship garden plants (things given to me from family and friends) in the beds surround the house and fences that I love and have used. But I want a more well rounded magical garden. I want plants associated with the different elements as well as those that I find useful.


What I have that I love:

Perennials.

Irises. My mother has split bulbs for years from my aunts and grandmother and her own, and she has given several to me. I now have five different varieties around my house. I love what they can stand for magically, but also that they raise their heads high in spring and produce what looks so delicate from such a hardy plant. They never cease to come up before mother's day and I let the neighborhood boys cut some to give to their moms.

Sedum. Three species. One another gift from my mother from a pretty aged plant and two from a former colleague. I do not know if they have any documented magical properties, but I feel them as protective, refreshing and rugged. They like the crappiest of soils and still flower and spread like mad and where directed often. They look well fit and fat with their little nubs no mater what I do to them. If I were to use them magically, I think it would be for the kind of strength to go the extra mile or to make something become indispensable. Like if a person wanted to perform so well that he or she became almost a necessity in the workplace.

Periwinkle Myrtle. I nicked it. It's a dark green that I love. Almost blue. And the flowers are purple. It has some magical properties according to a couple of books I have and I like those, but have not felt like I've grown with it enough to use that way.

Cinquefoil. Nicked. This one has magical properties as well and is brand new to my pots. I love the look of it. It also has healing properties but like above, it is too new with me to use in spell work or as an herbal aide.  I will be watching and tending to it and the myrtle carefully.

Wild Strawberry. Nicked. I have no idea why I am drawn to this crazy ass plant. There are magical properties, and those are cool. And in addition to those, the plant is just amusing. I put one spring in a lousy grainy pot and it took off with its tiered shoots to decorate everything without killing much. It subdued a very persistent morning glory vine, so I think it has a kind of whimsical strength.

Tiger Lilies. Gifted from mom again. I have the deep orange variety and I will be lining my fence with them (they've gotten huge and need quite a bit of splitting). They have magical properties that also were echoed in some folk magic I learned growing up. They were said to keep evil visitors away of all kinds; the living and the dead. They were also said to inspire thought as well as action in regards to creating.

Ivy. I bought two varieties. I like the properties of it in books and it also echoes the ones I was told it had. Plus, it is a family name, Ivy. I feel protective of it and as if it is likewise protective of me. I have not used it in spell work but may if the need arises. It's like a spell having them grow as is, so not much need to do anything else with them other than care for them.

Annuals.

I've been planting the same annuals every year in front of the house. Geraniums (mostly red, but a few pinks in some spots); marigolds (not the calendula that can be used as an herbal remedy and mostly orange with a few specific yellows); allysum; heliotrope. I want to say fern too, but it is supposed to be a perennial. I don't have luck with them though. :whis:

These are in front and they work their magic by growing where they do. When I first begin to plant in front the neighborhood old folks walk by and inquire if I will be using the same flowers. When I say that I will,  they are always pleased. Some actually say, "Good." To me they say to those among who I live, "I love you."

I am just beginning with some herbs this year in pots and hope to transfer them to the planned magical meditation spot once it is ready. Mint (spearmint - bought- wild peppermint is already growing in the spot and I'll try to keep that going); oregano, thyme, lavender and rosemary. The last two may have to be brought inside to winter I've learned. These will and are being used for food, herbal remedies and spell work when necessary.

I still have a bunch of spots to fill in the circle which I hope to divide and layout by elements in part. The only thing I know I want but do not have yet is skullcap. I have used tinctures of it to reduce work stress and it is amazing for me! I hope to eventually grow my own to make my own tinctures from that instead of what I buy in bulk now. And the flowers are purty too.

I have tried to grow milkweed to no avail. I will content myself to wild harvesting it for the time being. I do not know of any documented magical properties, but I feel it has some. I am unsure as yet how to describe it though.

I will need privacy hedging and need input on what to use there. I think it is going to have to be very spirit friendly. Maybe yew. An untimely death happened very nearby (like less than a 100 yards) and I was just today told by a witch as weird as myself that she felt the spirit of the man who died was trying to contact me. He was a very good man, so I want to make it a welcome spot for him as well as for meditation.

I do not know if that is the kind of information you wanted or not. I'm sorry for the length in any event!

If you have any plant lore or favorites you think are special, please do tell! I enjoy the meanings people find in plants and the stories about them. There is power in it. I think magical properties are in everything that lives and it is in the relationships people have with and around the plants that inspires it to come out and be used/directed. So any tips you have would not go unread or unappreciated!
« Last Edit: June 14, 2012, 11:10:51 pm by Annie Roonie »

veggiewolf

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2012, 09:00:33 am »
Quote from: Annie Roonie;60121
...

Irises. My mother has split bulbs for years from my aunts and grandmother and her own, and she has given several to me. I now have five different varieties around my house. I love what they can stand for magically, but also that they raise their heads high in spring and produce what looks so delicate from such a hardy plant. They never cease to come up before mother's day and I let the neighborhood boys cut some to give to their moms...

 
I have irises I need to split but I've been afraid I'll kill them.  Could you give me any advice on how to do it?
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Annie Roonie

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2012, 10:42:12 am »
Quote from: veggiewolf;60187
I have irises I need to split but I've been afraid I'll kill them.  Could you give me any advice on how to do it?

Dig down around them until you get under the hairy roots a bit. (I don't recommend cutting the leaves before hand because you can use those to shake dirt free later and you may want to keep some with what stays and you dont know what goes to what until you're under. Also, when you have the bulbs in a new hole, you can use the leaves to hold the plant up while you surround it with dirt.)

Once under poke around and see how many bulbs you have going. They may or may not be connected. You don't need three like many sites say unless you want to grow a bigger plant for the next year right away. If you want a little plant, you can separate one of the bulbs with a 5-in-1 painter's tool or a strong knife.  

They can be dried, clipped and saved for replanting at another time I hear, but we've never done this. We cut, shake, trunk and drive to where ever and replant within a day or two.

Here are some that grew to this size (about 3-4 feet) in two years with 5-6 bulbs each.

Here is one that has grown to about half that in a year with only 3 bulbs.  

And this one, between some tiger lilies, is one year old from 1 bulb. The leaves are about two feet in height and it did flower this year too. Littler but still lovely.

Oh dayum. I have a ton of weeding to do! I am set to start painting the fence today though. Think I'll let the weeds catch some of the drips first.:)

I used to be very squeamish about chopping things, but my mother goes at these with a shovel and tosses them about like ragdolls and they all survive. And boy do they like craptacular soil. My sister dislikes hers, so she never waters it and has hoped it would die for several years. Like 5. And that sucker is healthy as you please. These are not, IMO, delicate and will probably survive whatever you do to them.

Good luck!
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, 10:44:17 am by Annie Roonie »

Annie Roonie

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2012, 10:50:24 am »
Quote from: Annie Roonie;60196
...

This is weird but I wanted to share it in case someone else could use it. The first pic of irises is in a garden that one of my male cats has started to pee in. I have tried to get him to stop, but he's marking his zone in the hood. But as it turns out, his urine or whatever he uses to mark the spot, has been great for the plants there.

I dont know if it is something to do with the mulch interaction or just whatever chemicals are in his fluids, but the annuals there typically stay small, not this year though. They're thick and sturdy. And the other plants are growing huge too.

Who'd of thought it?
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, 10:51:04 am by Annie Roonie »

veggiewolf

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2012, 11:00:31 am »
Quote from: Annie Roonie;60196
...

 
Thank you very much!
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yewberry

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2012, 11:39:52 am »
Quote from: Blackbird Sage;59602
For those who grow gardens or use plants in spellwork, what plants do you have? What plants do you consider necessary for a well-rounded magic garden? Why?

My most necessary plants are those naturalized or native to this area, but that's the nature of the spellwork I do--it grows organically out of the place I live.  If I lived in the desert, it would be greatly different.  These plants include dandelion, nettle, native berries (I use a lot of Himalayan blackberry canes in protection spells), red alder, bigleaf maple, chickweed, plantain, western red cedar...the list goes on and on.

That said, I do cultivate a few plants I consider quasi-indispensable.  Rosemary, which you should be able to grow as a potted plant or as an annual in your area, is among my favorites.  It grows year-round in my temperate climate.  I've got a specimen that I've been growing for 15 years now, and I reach for it constantly for cooking, medicine, and spellwork.  My herb bed also has lavender, sage (both common sage and scented sages), rue (ruta graveolens, not meadow rue, which I also grow but use less often), lady's mantle, thyme, winter savory, pennyroyal, Corsican mint, and Greek oregano.  In other spots (or in pots) I grow peppermint, lovage, lungwort, hops, and valerian.  I also grow a few tropical plants as annuals, namely lemongrass, lemon verbena, and scented geraniums.  These last three are used in spellwork almost exclusively for their evocative fragrances.

As for why I've selected what I have, it's because these plants are versatile (with few exceptions, if it doesn't also have culinary applications, I don't bother cultivating it) and grow very well in my area.  I don't like nursing things along, and if something doesn't succeed, I get rid of it.

Brina
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, 11:41:20 am by yewberry »

earth_dragon

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2012, 03:06:40 pm »
Quote from: Blackbird Sage;59602
For those who grow gardens or use plants in spellwork, what plants do you have? What plants do you consider necessary for a well-rounded magic garden? Why?

 
I haven't been able to do nearly so much in the past few years, but there are some plants that I have a real connection to. This is just a list that works for me, for as with everything magical, things will differently for different people.

Roses - I literally grew prize winning roses, but it was many years ago before I moved to another state. I'm hoping to get another rose bush or two put in the ground next year.

Irises - These are some of my favorite flowers. And while I know that roses are often used in love/friendship magick, I have found that these also work. There beauty is unsurpassed and can also be used in spell work in which you are trying to bring beauty into your life.

Sage - So much can be said for this. Cooking, cleaning, cleansing, purifying. Just an awesome plant.
 
Lavender - Very calming. I've found that this helps to center the garden and even the whole grounds, makes it feel sacred to me.

Spearmint - Smells great and can be used in teas, infusions, and to make herb pillows (along with other things).

Rosemary - Excellent to cook with, quite magickly powerful as well. It's an automatic pick-me-up, especially in the dark months of the year.


There are so many more, but these are a good start. Plants are all just so important to me and each of them have their own vibes and properties. Just mess around a bit and see what works for you, hon.  :)

Blackbird Sage

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2012, 05:09:07 am »
Quote from: Annie Roonie;60198
The first pic of irises is in a garden that one of my male cats has started to pee in. I have tried to get him to stop, but he's marking his zone in the hood. But as it turns out, his urine or whatever he uses to mark the spot, has been great for the plants there.


Oh I know this!

Urine has lots of nutrients in it. Phosphorus immediately comes to mind, but there are others. Urea is a common ingredient for natural fertilizers. Humans have used urine on their crops for thousands of years. A study by NASA showed tomatoes fertilized with a urine-wood ash mix produced 4.2x more crop that unfertilized. Just be careful, urine can cause nitrogen burns, especially on leaves. The best recipe is 10 parts water to 1 part urine. If the cat's pee isn't hurting the plants, let him continue. If he is marking, it also creates a scent that drives away other animals.

MadZealot

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2012, 05:42:25 am »
Quote from: Blackbird Sage;60270
Urine has lots of nutrients in it.


Which is why I often pee in the composter.  Madame Wife just shakes her head.
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yewberry

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2012, 10:34:40 am »
Quote from: MadZealot;60279
Which is why I often pee in the composter.  Madame Wife just shakes her head.


I often encourage my men-folk to do the same.  ;)

Brina

veggiewolf

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2012, 07:49:36 pm »
Quote from: yewberry;60298
I often encourage my men-folk to do the same.  ;)

Brina


If the men-folk eat meat on a routine basis, a urine barrier around the vegetable garden is effective against rabbits.  Of course, it needs to be redone every so often.

Small boys particularly enjoy this type of garden chore. ;)
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Annie Roonie

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2012, 10:22:53 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;60561
If the men-folk eat meat on a routine basis, a urine barrier around the vegetable garden is effective against rabbits.  Of course, it needs to be redone every so often.

Small boys particularly enjoy this type of garden chore. ;)

 

This is cracking me up. And kind of wishing that I could train Bunny to pee around the kitchen garden. All my spinach has been snarfed!

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2012, 11:00:45 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;60561
If the men-folk eat meat on a routine basis, a urine barrier around the vegetable garden is effective against rabbits.  Of course, it needs to be redone every so often.

Small boys particularly enjoy this type of garden chore. ;)

So do grown boys.  :P

You have given me excuses both for eating meat and having bad aim.  
If we were face to face I'd have to give you a hug.  :)
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yewberry

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Re: Building a Magic Garden
« Reply #14 on: June 18, 2012, 12:29:42 am »
Quote from: veggiewolf;60561
If the men-folk eat meat on a routine basis, a urine barrier around the vegetable garden is effective against rabbits.  Of course, it needs to be redone every so often.

Small boys particularly enjoy this type of garden chore.

Our garden is fully fenced, but mostly to keep the neighborhood cats from pooping in it.  When it wasn't, bunnies did come by, but rarely did much damage.  We've got so much foliage here they have a lot to choose from.

And all my boys are of the grown-up variety, but they still enjoy their "field trips".

Brina
« Last Edit: June 18, 2012, 12:30:17 am by yewberry »

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