Pagan Gardening
In the comments section of my last blog I had someone ask about gardening and it took forever for me to decide how to word what I do to have a successful garden and what is successful anyway.Last year was my first real attempt and it failed horribly. This Spring I tried again and again epic fail. Those two times would have sent me running for the hills if not for one thing I listened. I listened to the old timers, to the people buying seeds, but more importantly for a Witch I listened to the plants and animals in my yard and to the Spirits of my Ancestors. So basically the voices no one else heard the sounds of songs in the wind, the patter of rain, that had I stopped and paid attention I would have known was coming and to the stirring inside my hands and stomach when I started a plant.
Every failure brought me one step closer to having what others would say was a success. I was tickled pink with the tiny watermelons and few pumpkins I got last year but for all that work I knew deep down it should have done better. So I sat and thought about it, meditated even, and came up with a new plan. When the deer dug up all the potatoes and started stepping on the pumpkins I called to them, with a promise of food, if you will work with me on letting things grow I promise I will share. When the bugs started to eat everything left, I called to them if you only eat this plant out of these I will not bother you. That seemed to work so I was happy and thought I had it in the bag, until...
This Spring we hired an older gentleman we know to till the garden, make it huge, and add horse and rabbit poo to it. I then got out there with a hoe and made the rows, it was so pretty, then I proceeded to plant 100's of seeds( the whole time I said words of encouragement and of growth). Then I did the worst thing I could do, I called for rain, anyone who has ever tried this knows you only do it when it is needed and you make it specific, not me. I called for rain( in April mind you) big ol drops of water to fall and make my life easier, since I wouldn't have to haul buckets of water to ensure the seedlings have enough. Well you get what you ask for, I got 2 weeks of rain, heavy rain, my life was made so much easier in fact because the seeds rotted in the ground or simply washed away (FAIL).
I wont be defeated, I know I have the know how and the power to grow things, so I went to town and bought some sad tomato and green pepper plants. I say sad because they knew they were dying you could feel their pain at being stuck in the small plastic pots, so yes here I am in the Walmart talking to tomato and pepper plants and asking them if I take you home will you grow, I hear back "that's all we wish to do", I now have one tomato plant that is taller than me and the rest are not far behind and two of the 4 are producing. The peppers where farther gone but at least 1 will have peppers in it and the other 3 I'm still talking to about it.
That brings us now to the Fall garden that has been going for about a week. I have pumpkins, mustard greens, Roma tomatoes, and green beans growing. Carrots in a couple pots and getting ready to add more veggies to the list. The things I have learned have out weighed my failures by a truck load.
Do I have advice for someone who wishes to grow something? Sure I do but first are you willing to talk to bugs and deer? Are you willing to look to the trees for signs of rain? More importantly are you willing to listen to the voices/feelings only you can hear/feel? If not there is nothing I can do, or anyone else really until you are ready to commune with Nature instead of fighting it then that is all you will do and yes you may grow some really good fruits and vegetables but the lessons you could have learned will be lost.
This was so long that I'm not going to post a recipe or tip, but the goal is to go outside and bask in the glory of the sun and moon and listen.
