Creating my first Herb garden

I call it creating, because it requires creativity and imagination :) Happy buzzwords adding magic to what is really me planting seeds in coloured plastic pots anticipating new little plants... while we are in the middle of Winter haha!

Yes, It is not the ideal time of Spring, but I figure, I live in a warm sunny climate, even in Winter... where it only gets really cold early morning and at night. Maybe I will bring them in at night. That will remind me to water them, at least!

I tend to take a laissez faire approach to life :) Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Like a naughty little curl, when it is good, it is very, very good, and when it is bad, it is horrid. Or something like that ;p

So today, I planted Basil, Parsley and Garlic Chives. They sound boring. I wanted to plant Rosemary, and Sage and Thyme and Lavender.. they sound cool :) But we aren't all about appearances, are we?

 

 

 

So I thought I would add a little information on each one here. Not sure about Garlic Chives, I think they are more Chive than Garlic, so I will post about Chives :)

 

 

The information I post here is from Cunningham, Scott, 1985, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, Minnesota. And that is how he spelt Encyclopedia. :)

 

Basil

(Ocimum basilicum)

Folk names: Albahaca, American Dittany, "Our Herb", St. Joseph's Wort, Sweet Basil, Witches Herb, Njilika, Feslien

Gender: masculine

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Deities: Vishnu, Erzulie

Powers: Love, Exorcism, Wealth, Flying, Protection.

Magical Uses: A pot of Basil brings good luck to a new home; Witches are reported to drink a Basil mixture before flying; no evil can live where there is basil, so sprinkle it on your floors; brings wealth to those who carry it in their pockets; can be used in love divination.

 

Chives

 (not found in the Encyclopedia! Fancy that.. maybe it wasn't around in the 80s?) 

 

** Can be used for protection and weight loss - put in food with magical intent. (Wild Witch Academy)

 

I'm going to have to find out more about Chives.

 

From one of the lovely likers of the Paganesque Facebook page:

 

Gender: Feminine (most likely)

Planet: Moon

Element: Water

Powers: Prosperity, Psychic power.

 

Parsley

(Petroselinum crispum, Petroselinum sativum)

Folk names: Devil's Oatmeal, Percely, Persil, Petersilie, Petroselinum, Rock Parsely

Gender: masculine

Planet: Mercury

Element: Air

Deity:Persephone

Powers: Lust, Protection, Purification

Magical Uses: if you are in love, don't cut your parsley, you will cut your love as well; Romans tucked a sprig of parsley in their togas for protection. Placed on food to guard against contamination; used in purification baths; worn on head prevents or delays intoxication.

 

Well there you go. I'm still surprised there were no Chives in the encyclopaedia. I will have to go look them up.

 

Here is one more photo of my proud work :) I sticky taped the labels to the pots so I would know what they are. You might notice the labels are pockets - the seeds are inside. How clever am I? Or is this foolhardy.. will the seeds die or be eaten?

 

What have I learnt today?
1. A cup of water is too much for these plant holder tray thingies to hold
2. I should wear gloves when using potting mix - my hands now smell
3. I might wish I'd read the instructions better :) But they are at least sticky taped to the side of the pots as well :)