Thursday, February 19, 2015

Etsy Shop Now Open!

I am excited to offer all the seeds I collected from the garden and many of the herbal products and remedies I make. Check back often at my Etsy Shop, Wild Garden Goddess, for an ever-increasing inventory of garden goodness from our 10 acre paradise Celestial Springs! Thanks for your love and support and be sure to add my shop to your Favorites.

Wild Garden Goddess - Etsy Shop

Saturday, February 14, 2015

A Short Little Ditty About Blue Hyssop

Blue Hyssop  (Hyssop officinalis) Family 'Labiatae'

 It's name comes from  the Greek word hussopos and the Hebrew esob, meaning "holy herb".  [Rodale Encyclopedia of Herbs]


Blue Hyssop is one of the first perennial herbs to awaken in my garden and one of the last to go dormant in the winter.  I really love this herb from the mint family for it's glossy green leaves, deep purple flowers and aromatic smell that reminds me a little of rosemary.

We purchased a seed collection called 'Life Line Medicinal Herb Garden' from my favorite seed company 'Horizon Herbs'. Blue Hyssop was one of the 18 herbs we grew from this collection and these herbs were the foundation for our Medicine Wheel Garden.

Recently hyssop has helped my 3 year old son, Liam with a chest cold. I had dried some of the leaves and flowers for tea, so I brewed him an infusion and added a little honey. I was a bit surprised when he declared " I love this tea!" I am definitely adding this herb to my arsenal and am looking forward to making a cough syrup, tincture and drying the aerial parts of the plant for for more of the delicious tea!



Sunday, February 8, 2015

Lunar Gardening

One of my favorite pastimes is observing the waxing and waning Moon as she passes through the constellations month after month; season after season.  Grandmother Moon has guided me as a maiden and mother through the ebb and flow of my body’s natural cycles of menstruation and fertility and the birth of five children .

Ruler of water the Moon influences reproductive cycles, the tides, earthly energies and the life-force in plants, animals and people.  She is a symbol of birth, growth, death and rebirth to all living things on Earth.

When I started growing my own vegetables, herbs, and flowers it seemed natural to plan my garden activities around the cycles of the Moon.  This journey and my relationship with the Moon & Stars has connected me with Mother Earth and the elements in a deep rooted sense that has brought much joy and healing to my life.  Modern agriculture with all its fancy machinery, GMO’s and chemical pesticides cannot compare to growing your own food with loving intentions imbued with the beautiful light of the Moon.

Moon or Lunar Gardening can be a simple addition to your gardening routine and is great food for the soul.  There are a few basic concepts to start with. It helps to get a picture in your head of the cycles and phases of the Moon as you begin your planning and planting.  I found it helpful to purchase a Moon Calendar or datebook to begin with until you build up your confidence.  Then you will find with practice that planting by the Moon comes naturally as you become in tune with the rhythms of the seasons and cycles of the Moon.  I really enjoy the calendar Gardening by the Moon  and the astrological date book We’Moon.  

Moon facts:

  • Every 29 ½ days the Moon completes her cycle from New to Full to New again as she orbits around the Earth.
  • There are 4 phases or quarters :  New Moon, 1st  Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter or New Moon, 2nd  Quarter, Full Moon, 4th  Quarter; depending on what planting calendar you are using.
  • As the Moon waxes the light increases and as the Moon wanes the light decreases.  
  • The Moon makes her way along the ecliptic path through the 12 signs of the Tropical Zodiac every 27 ½ days (known as a sidereal month) and stays in each constellation for 2-3 days a month.
  • There are 13 moons or lunar cycles per year.

Here are a few simple visualizations to help you remember the basics of Lunar gardening:

Visualize the Earth exhaling as the Moon is waxing.  When the light of the Moon is increasing plant your vegetable seeds that like to grow above ground.  Plant your seeds in flats or in the ground a few days before the New Moon.  The lunar gravity is strongest at the New and Full Moon, so your seeds should germinate quickly and balanced leaf and root growth will occur as the Moon waxes until she is Full.

Next visualize the Earth inhaling as the Moon is waning.  When the light of the Moon is decreasing plant your vegetable seeds, root vegetables, and bulbs that like to grow below ground. Plant your seeds a few days before the Full Moon and they should germinate quickly and then focus energy into forming their roots until the New Moon.  This is also a great time to cultivate, transplant, fertilize, harvest and prune.

There’s so much more you can do with Lunar gardening then these basic concepts, but it’s a great place to start. You will find your own rhythm just by observing what is happening in your garden daily, the cycles of the moon, the cosmos, weather, and seasons. You can increase the magic in your garden by telling each seed and plant how much you love them and by chanting or singing to them.  I like to send love and inspiration to the plants to grow and bear fruit as I water and fertilize them. My children and I enjoy singing different songs as we plant and harvest.  Here’s one of our favorites (you can find the tune on youtube).

The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water, return return return return
The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water, return return return 

If you want to explore organic and lunar gardening more in depth then I highly recommend Bio-dynamic gardening. I discovered this technique, introduced by Rudolph Steiner, while researching Waldorf education when pregnant with my first child.  Bio-dynamic Gardening  employs organic gardening practices, observing lunar and planetary cycles when planting, cultivating and harvesting; making your own compost, growing mediums, fertilizers, and preps.  It’s quite a fascinating subject and one that is based on observation in your own micro-climate. It’s truly a full-circle approach to gardening!

One basic concept is that as the Moon moves through its ecliptic cycle in 27 ½ days around Earth it passes through the 12 signs of the Tropical Zodiac, each are assigned to one of the 4 fundamental elements.  Along with the phase of the Moon, sign it is in, and planetary influences the plants can benefit by giving a greater yield, resistance to pests and disease, improved flavor and nutrients, and longer storage periods.

4 Fundamental Elements, Plant Stage & Zodiac Signs
Earth – Root – Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air – Flower – Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Fire – Fruit (seed) – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Water – Leaf – Cancer, Scorpio, Pices

There are a lot of awesome resources out there for Bio-dynamic gardening and agriculture. Here’s a few to get you started:
http://www.stellanatura.com/
http://www.lunarorganics.com/
https://www.biodynamics.com/

Gardening is about forming a connection with the Earth, the cosmos, your food & herbs that you grow for yourself, family and friends. Let it be an adventure that carries you joyfully throughout the season and keeps you healthy, happy and strong!