Bud, Blossom & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener's Handbook - Softcover

Morrison, Dorothy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 156718443X ISBN 13: 9781567184433

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications, 2001

Synopsis

By Air, Earth, Rain, and Shining Sun

Every spring, the raw power of each Element works its magic on a seed, and Nature's creative cycle begins anew. Your own magic and spellwork can flourish and grow when you plant, tend, and harvest your own herbs and flowers for magical use-it's easy with the step-by-step techniques and practical advice found in Bud, Blossom, & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener's Handbook.

Do you want to know how to tend herbs with hydroponic magic? Or brew them into fine wines fit for the gods? Learn how to work with home spirits so your plants will prosper. Then step into the kitchen and whip up soothing ointments, pest control solutions, and house cleaning supplies.

This gardening grimoire offers over 125 spells, invocations, rituals, and recipes for your magical gardening practices. Inside, you'll find:

·Magical garden shapes and themes for different purposes
· Recipes for culinary, cosmetic, and first aid uses for herbs
· The secret to appeasing fairies so your garden will thrive
· Tips for predicting the weather by using the moon and winds

With down-to-earth approaches rooted in magic, Bud, Blossom, & Leaf shows you how to enlist the help of Nature's Elemental energies to create your own enchanted garden.

About this title

About the Author

Originally from Texas, Dorothy Morrison now lives the magical life in Maine with her family. Dorothy is a member of the Pagan Poet's Society and a charter member of M.A.G.I.C., a magical writer's and artist's organization. Dorothy is a Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, and has been an avid practitioner of the ancient arts for more than twenty years. She founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft of Wicca to students both in the United States and in Australia.

A former state championship archer and bow hunter, Dorothy's current interests include Tarot work, magical herbalism, stonework, and computer networking.

Dorothy's work has been published in many journals and magazines, including Circle Network News, SageWoman, and Crone Chronicles. She is the author of the acclaimed Everyday Magic, Magical Needlework, In Praise of the Crone, Yule, Bud, Blossom & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener's Handbook, The Craft, and The Craft Companion, among other works.

Reviews

As "winter thaw" turns to spring verdure, spiritual gardeners begin sharpening their tools. In Bud, Blossom, & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener's Handbook, Dorothy Morrison (In Praise of the Crone) digs through the spiritual side of gardening, offering 125 invocations, rituals, recipes and spells to help readers connect with the spirit of their bit of earth. Morrison's good humor and practical tips make this an entertaining ode to springtime.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Waiting for seeds to mature is much like waiting for a kettle to boil-it just doesn't seem to happen while you're watching. If your patience is running thin, turn your attention to another area of the gardening process-that of magical tool collection.

Tools of the Trade
Gardening-like every other form of ritual magic-requires a unique tool set. What you need depends on the type of garden you have in mind and how much money you want to spend. Unless you're planning to set up individual outdoor gardens year 'round, for example, you may not really need to buy a tiller; they're expensive, and you can probably get by with renting one once or twice a year. Other items are necessities, though. For your convenience, lists of bare essentials for indoor and outdoor gardening are listed below.

Indoor Tool List: Gardening shears or scissors, hand-held claw, hand-held shovel, watering can or pitcher, wide assortment of pots, windsock (to hang outside a nearby window).

Outdoor Tool List: Garden rake, garden shears or scissors, garden spade, hoe, watering can (for fertilizing), water hose, windsock.

If you already have these tools locked away in a shed somewhere, don't run out and buy new ones. Whether magical gardening tools are new or used doesn't make any difference here. What does matter is that you treat them just like your other magical tools. Cleanse them, consecrate them, and store them away carefully. Give them the respect they deserve, and they will serve you with as much power as any wand or athame in your possession.

Rather than blessing garden tools individually, try consecrating them all at once. It not only takes less time, but unites the tools as a team and lets them know they need to work together for successful magic.

Tool Consecration
On a sunny day (during the period of New to Full Moon), gather the tools and take them to your garden spot. Place them in the center of the area, then tie the tools together with a length of green ribbon or yarn. Say something like:
You are a team now-I bind you as one
To complete every task that soon must be done
Work well together and lighten the load
Of birthing and tending this garden abode
Sit down and get comfortable. Then hold the tools in your lap or lay your hands on them, saying:
Tools of the Earth, Tools Who create
Become now tools who exacerbate
The magic I'll perform within
This plot of Earth that I'll soon tend

Lick your finger and rub a little saliva on the ribbon. Say:
I bless you with Water

Blow on the tools and say:
I bless you with Air

Gather a few grains of dirt from the spot (house dust will do if your gardening spot is indoors) and sprinkle it over the tools. Say:
I bless you with Earth

Expose the tools to the heat of the Sun (or an indoor lamp) for a few seconds and say:
And Sunshine fair

Kiss the tools or hug them to your body and say:
My magical tools, you've now become
As I will, so be it done
Leave the tools tied together and store them in a safe place until it's time to use them.
Marking the Outdoor Garden Area

Geometrically shaped gardens aren't difficult to mark. All you need is a tape measure, a couple of stakes, and some string to plot out perfectly straight edges. Round gardens and those with curving shapes are a different matter, but with a little practice and the following technique, you can create any shape you want in no time flat.

Place a stick or dowel in the middle of the area and push it firmly into the ground. Tie a piece of string around the stick, then, holding the string, walk away from the center until you reach the desired outside perimeter. Tie the other end of the string to a bottle of carpenter's chalk. Pull slightly against the string to tighten it, then turn the bottle upside down and walk slowly in a circular motion around the space. The chalk will leave its mark on the area, and you'll know exactly where to dig or till.

Note: If grass is a problem or you don't want to till the garden right away, fill a plastic squeeze bottle with white vinegar and use it in place of the chalk. This will kill the grass and weeds along the boundary line in a matter of days.

Turning, Tilling, and Playing in the Dirt
I've always liked to play in the dirt. There's just something very comforting about it. No matter what sort of mess creeps into your life, digging in the dirt seems to whisk it all away. It has a way of bringing instant peace of mind during even the worst kinds of trouble. It's one of the reasons so many gardeners enjoy the initial preparations as much as the actual planting.

Garden preparations also give you a chance to wake the Earth and play a major role in the creative process. This makes the time you spend working the soil perfect for increasing the magical power held in the garden spot. Some folks like to do this with chants. Others like to sing. For this reason, appropriate chants are listed below with each preparatory step. If you'd rather put them to music, try the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

Preparing the garden area isn't difficult. All it takes is a little time, a little effort, and careful adherence to the three simple steps listed below. Before you know it, you'll be doing more than just playing in the dirt. You'll be helping the Earth-and yourself-green and thrive with the magic and power of creative growth. So, untie your tools, put the ribbon in a safe place (you'll need it later), and let's get started.

Step One: Defining the Magic
It's important to firmly define the garden boundaries for two reasons. First, it keeps people from stepping on your seeds and plants. Second, a good boundary line works somewhat like the ritual Circle: It holds the magic of the garden inside and allows its power to increase on a constant basis.

The easiest way to do this is with the garden spade. Carefully following the chalk or vinegar outline, make firm, deep, swift cuts. As you work, chant or sing something like:
Garden spade of strength and might
Cut this edge both clean and tight
Keep the power well within
This garden spot that I now tend
Step Two: Waking the Magic

When the garden edge is completely cut in, use the tiller or hoe to turn the soil to a one-foot depth. Magically, it makes no difference which tool you use. Tilling just takes less time. If you choose to use a hoe, chop into the soil with quick, deep cuts that are close together. As you work, chant or sing something like:
Garden hoe/tilling machine, cut quick and deep
Wake the Earth now from Her sleep
So that plants and seeds will grow/green
Awaken Her richness, garden hoe/tilling machine
Step Three: Refining the Magic

Afterward, remove all the grass and weeds from the spot with the garden rake. (If you didn't use a tiller, a second hoeing may be necessary for thorough removal.) An appropriate chant for this task might be:
Garden rake, remove debris
Rake this spot clean as can be
Prepare this place for plants and seeds
And rake it free of useless weeds

When you're finished, pick up a handful of dirt. If it's soft and crumbles easily, you're ready to plant. If not, try the suggestions below for specific soil problems.

If garden soil clumps together, it won't drain well. This means root rot, spindly seedlings, and yellowed, anemic-looking plants. To solve this problem, work some sand or vermiculite into the soil.

Soil that neither clumps nor crumbles signifies too much sand. This means the soil won't hold water long enough to feed your plants. To rectify this problem, add some compost or other organic matter.

When the garden is ready for planting, lay any flagstones or walkways that fit your plans, then take a little time to thank the Spirits for the loan of Their property. This doesn't have to be an elaborate ritual; a few impromptu words of thanks work just as well. For your convenience, my favorite thank-you ritual follows below. Use it if you like, or work up one of your own. All that matters is that you welcome Them and give them Their due.

The Thanksgiving Ritual
Go to the garden with your windsock (bring a pole for hanging if there's not a nearby tree), four sticks of incense, a large cup of water, and the ribbon from your tool consecration. Hang the windsock just outside the garden perimeters (preferably in the east) and say:
Spirits of Air that blow and swirl
Who create and inspire with every twirl
I invite You-come into this space today
So I can honor and thank You in a personal way

Plant the incense sticks equidistantly around the garden boundary. Light the incense and say:
Spirits of Fire that power the Sun
Flickering, burning, dancing as One
I invite You-come into this space today
So I can honor and thank You in a personal way

Take the ribbon and bury it in the center of the garden. (If your garden is indoors, bury the ribbon in a flower pot.) As you cover it with soil, say:
Spirits of Earth that nurture and grow
I bring you this ribbon of magic to sow
I invite You-come into this space today
So I can honor and thank You in a personal way

Traveling clockwise, dip your fingers in the water and sprinkle the inside edges of the garden. As you asperge, say:
Watery Spirits, You Givers of Life
Whose moisture can soothe and relieve famine's strife
I invite You-come into this space today
So I can honor and thank You in a personal way

Stand in the middle of the garden and hold your arms up high in embrace. Then say something like:
Spirits of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth
I conjure You freely in love and in mirth
Please come now and play here as long as you like
Freely dance to Your rhythms in joyous delight
Take this offering of thanks for all that You do
And for the loan of this space that belonged just to You

Let the incense burn out, and pour any leftover water on the spot where you buried the ribbon.

Without a doubt, the most aggravating part of outdoor gardening is getting through the waiting period-that seemingly endless block of time between preparing the garden and planting it; that time spent waiting for the last frost of the year. Over the years, though, I've learned to put that time to good use. It provides a good time to watch the weather, work with the windsock, and check the local nurseries for healthy garden plants. Because I'm the impatient sort, it also gives me time to do the following ritual-a ritual that you'll want to perform, too, if spring isn't arriving quickly enough to suit you.

Invoke the Spring Ritual
All you need for this ritual is a spoon, a bowl, a hand spade for digging, some soil from outside (if the soil is frozen, so much the better), and a fervent desire to get on with the spring season.

Fill the bowl half full with soil and bring it indoors. If you have a fireplace, place it on the hearth. If not, set the bowl in another warm spot in your home. Any place is fine as long as the spot is a prominent one. Stir the soil with the spoon or crumble it with your hands. As you work the soil, chant something like:
Sleeping Earth, wake now-arise!
Rub the sleep from dreaming eyes
Yawn and stretch-wake up and bring
The verdant greening of the Spring

Stir the soil and do the chant every day for seven days. At the end of the week, sprinkle the soil outdoors. Say something like:
Earth, take notice of this soil
Awake and fresh, so rich and royal
It warms and thaws you-come now, wake
Bring the Spring for goodness sake
Spring weather should arrive within the next week or two.
Mother Nature's Weather Predictions

The spring arrival wait is also a good time to learn how to predict the weather. It's a real plus for gardening enthusiasts. It helps to know when rain is on its way, when the first frost will arrive, and whether the coming winter will be exceptionally harsh. Personal weather knowledge helps us to plan ahead without worry of planting at the wrong time or missing that much-needed thunder shower. Note: To calculate the first frost, add six months to the date of the first thunderstorm of the year. The first Full Moon on or after that date will bring the first frost.

If you think you don't have time to bother with the art of prediction and would rather get the weather report from your local television station, so mote it be. But if your meteorologist is like mine, you probably can't remember the last time an accurate forecast was delivered. Sadly enough, if today's meteorologists would lift their eyes from the radar screen and shift them to Mother Nature, their weather reports would probably be a lot more precise. For Mother Nature tells us exactly what will happen from day to day. All we have to do is listen and watch for the signs.

As magical practitioners, we constantly strive toward complete harmony with Mother Nature. We already speak Her language and understand Her principles of balance. This makes weather prediction easier for us than for most other folks. All we have to know is what to look for.

The Moon is exceptionally helpful when it comes to predicting the weather, especially rain. For example, if the horns of the Moon point toward the Earth, rain will fall within three days. If a red Moon rises in the sky, it will rain the next day. When rain falls on the day of the Full Moon, showers are likely until She wanes to half. And, of course, if the Moon's reclining on Her back at the beginning of the fourth quarter, it will be a very wet week.

The most common weather signals and formulas are listed below for your convenience. Armed with this information, your weather forecasts will rival those of the most acclaimed meteorologists.

Signs of Approaching Rain
•A ring around the Moon
•Changes in the Moon's appearance on Sunday bring heavy rains
•Birds fly close to the ground
•The sun sets in clouds
•Ants cover the entrance to their anthill
•Smoke floats toward the ground
•Dandelion blossoms close
•Earthworms burrow out of the ground in large numbers
•Toadstools and mushrooms spring up overnight
•The leaves of cottonwood trees and clover rise upward toward the sky
•Flies appear inside the house and car

Signs of Fair Weather
•Smoke rises
•Crickets chirp more loudly than normal
•Locusts rub their wings together before nine o'clock in the morning
•A New Moon in winter rises in the south
•Morning clouds during the Waning Moon bring afternoon sunshine
•Screech owls screech

Signs of a Hard Winter
•Tough onion and apple skins
•Dogwood blooms excessively
•Berry vines bear an exorbitant amount of fruit
•An overabundance of pine cones or other evergreen fruit
•Leaves fall from the trees late in autumn, or fall before they change color
•Pine cones open early
•Apple trees bear fruit early
•Animals grow their winter coats early
•Tree bark is heavier on the north side
•Summer anthills are large and tall
•Squirrels build their nests closer to the ground and gather nuts in September
•Beaver dams have more logs on the north side than the south

Signs of a Mild Winter
•Thin skins on apples and onions
•Dogwood and berry blossoms are thin and sparse

Signs of a Hot Summer
•Birds mate and build nests before March 1
•Birds lay eggs three or four times during the spring instead of just twice
•Animals shed their winter coats early in the spring

Signs of an Abundant Harvest
•The first snow sticks to the trees
•Abundant snowfall throughout the winter months
•A white Christmas

Windsock Workings
If you've become a real pro at weather prediction and spring still hasn't sprung, take a good hard look at your windsock. It's much more than an attractive decoration. Used properly, it can become one of the most valuable magical tools in your assortment. All you have to do is learn how to use it.

Although we don't often think about it, the winds are strong and powerful, and can be harnessed to intensify magical workings. They are especially helpful when it comes to gardening magic.

The Winds
Air comes in many forms, but the most powerful type is wind. This is because it can change its intensity with the bat of an eye. There are gentle winds, breezy winds, and raucous, blustery, stormy winds. Winds can playfully twirl your skirt one minute and knock you off your feet the next. Winds are unpredictable. Everchanging. They form an energy with a power so raw that it's unsurpassed by any other natural force. Even better, they can easily intensify your magic. All you have to do is learn how to harness and apply them.

The trick to using the winds in magic is understanding that their magical vibrations differ according to the directions from which they blow. In short, the strength of the wind doesn't matter; it only matters whether it's coming from the east, south, west, or north. Want to harness the winds but don't know which way they're blowing? No problem. Just hang a windsock in your garden or outside a frequently observed window.

East Wind
This wind provides the proper energy for efforts that relate to metamorphosis, transformation, and change. It also boosts workings that involve beginnings, fresh perspectives, inspiration, communication, and creation. Use it to start new ventures, make plans, and form new relationships, as well as for aid in personal growth issues.

South Wind
Although southerly winds are most commonly harnessed for emotional issues like love, passion, and lust, don't sell them short. They also provide the perfect energy for workings that involve tenacity and determination, courage of conviction, physical vitality, and initiative. Try them, too, for resolving personal problems like selfishness, poor attitude, anger, and jealousy.

West Wind
Because of the healing, purifying quality of westerly winds, they provide the proper energy for resolving both physical and emotional issues. Use them to clear the mind and strengthen the intuition to bring about mental and physical efficiency, fertility, and productivity.

North Wind
Northerly winds are cold and strong, and bring about the perfect conditions for handling issues of a practical nature. Use this energy for dealing with matters that involve clarity of mind, legal issues, home management, and financial matters. Try it, too, as a planning period for magical efforts you intend to work when the wind changes.

While working with the winds can really boost magical work, there may come a time when you need a particular wind direction and it just won't cooperate. What then? Just take a few minutes to visualize the wind blowing from the necessary direction, then say the chant below with feeling:
Spirit of the (East/South/West/North) Wind, arise
Grab some gusto from the skies
Do your thing and do it fast
Bring me what I need at last
Thinning and Strengthening

By the time you get to this section, your seedlings should be thriving. In fact, if they have two sets of leaves, they're probably crowding each other. This means they're ready to thin. I have to admit that I've always had trouble with this part of the gardening process. I was taught early on not to waste, and that everything has a purpose. Simply put, throwing away perfectly good plants makes me feel as if my mother-hands on her hips and lips pursed in disapproval-is watching me from two thousand miles away. Still, it has to be done. Otherwise, it's likely that none of the plants will survive.

The basis for thinning new plants is a good one. If seedlings are too crowded, the roots fight for food and water. The soil becomes compacted. Air can't circulate. And before you can say "Goddess bless!" your once healthy little sprouts topple flatly to their demise. The main idea is to have only one plant per pot. That way, each sprout gets plenty to eat and enough room to grow.

Thinning your plants isn't difficult, and it doesn't have to make you feel guilty. It can be a little messy, though, so you might want to grab some newspaper to use as a work surface. Grab some extra pots, cell-packs, and sterile potting mix while you're at it. That way, you don't have to throw any sprouts away. Just pot them and share them with your friends. The tips below will get you started.
•If seedlings are growing in plastic pots or cell-packs, squeeze the sides of the container toward the center to loosen the soil. Place your hand over the top of the pot, turn it upside down, and give the bottom a firm tap. The plants and soil should come out in a fairly solid piece.
•If you planted seeds in clay pots, you'll need a dinner knife. Carefully slide the blade down the inside edge of the container until you reach its bottom, and gently move the knife in a clockwise motion until you reach the starting point. Then place your hand over the top of the pot, turn it upside down, and tap it firmly.
•Gently crumble the soil between your fingers and separate the plants. (Be careful during the separation process. New root systems are fragile and easily damaged.)
•Plant each sprout in its own pot while saying something like:
I give you room to grow
I give you air to breathe
I give you space to eat and sleep
I bless your life with ease

That's all there is to it. In no time at all, your plants will be well on their way to a strong, healthy existence, and they'll have you to thank. So will your friends and neighbors.

The Cold Frame
When sprouts have six to eight pairs of leaves, they're ready to be introduced to their permanent residences. Most gardeners call the outdoor introductory process hardening off. Hardening off is important because tender seedlings are just that. Tender. No matter how lush they grow or vibrant they seem, they don't yet have the strength or stamina to brave heavy winds or pouring rain, much less severe cold or heat. They need a little time to toughen their stems and leaves, and become acclimated to the freedoms of their new lifestyle. This process usually takes about a week.

There are probably as many techniques to acclimate seedlings as there are gardeners, but I think the most practical one involves the cold frame. The cold frame is a box-sometimes bottomless-with a clear lid that can be raised and lowered. While you can purchase a frame at most nurseries or build one yourself, a simpler, more inexpensive solution is available. All you need is a heavy plastic sweater box with a clear snap-on lid, and some small rocks or gravel.

Take the box outdoors and pour in approximately one inch of gravel. Set the plants on top of the gravel and chant something like:
Tender plants that flex and bend
Toughen up your leaves and stems
Learn to live this life anew
Grab hold, gain strength, and power, too

Let the box sit outside. (Unless you're experiencing extreme weather-gale force winds, heavy rains, excessive heat, or frosty nights-there's usually no need to cover the box.)

Another acclimation method is just as simple, but requires a little more effort on your part. Take seedlings outside for one hour the first day, then increase the outdoor time each day by thirty minutes. Since seedlings are baby plants and are more delicate than those you might purchase in a nursery, remember to keep them away from frost, bright sunshine, and windy areas.

It doesn't matter which method you choose. Both work equally well. The only important thing to remember is to water the plants as you normally would. In seven days, they should be sturdy enough to hold their own in the garden.

Getting Started Indoors:
Working with Moon Phases and Moon Signs
Just as for outdoor herbs, the appearance of six to eight sets of leaves on indoor plants signals that the time has come to introduce them to their permanent homes. In all honesty, this process is much easier than that for outside plants. There's no hardening off to tackle, no cold frame involved, and no worry about excessive heat or cold. Because the herbs are already used to their environment, all you have to do is transplant them and let Mother Nature taker Her course. Something you may want to consider though-before you prepare a permanent residence for your plants-is the phase of the Moon and Her current astrological ascendant.

Planting (or transplanting) in the proper phase of the Moon is crucial to successful gardening. This is because not all plants are alike. They need different energies and environments to thrive, and the Moon is capable of providing exactly what each type needs. Use the list of phases below as a guideline, and your garden will always grow lush and green.

Dark to Waxing
Use this phase to plant herbs that grow above the ground and reseed themselves. A few examples are dill, sunflowers, chamomile, poppies, lavender, and thyme.

Waxing to Full Moon
This phase works wonders for plants that grow above the ground and form seedpods and berries. A few examples of these are beans (vanilla, tonka, castor, and so on), sweet peas, juniper, rowan, and pine.

Full to Waning Moon
Any plant that grows below the ground-bulbs and root crops fall into this category-will benefit when planted during this phase. A few examples are irises, daffodils, carrots, radishes, ginseng, and ginger.

Waning to New Moon
Avoid planting at this time; instead, use this phase for weeding.

The Moon's astrological sign is just as important to the planting process as the Moon phase. It can mean the difference between strong, healthy herbs or a wilting, withering mess. While there are countless ways to calculate the sign of the Moon, I find most of them so complicated that I'd never get my plants in the ground if I had to do my own figuring. For this reason, I cheat, and unless you have a strong base in astrology, I strongly suggest that you do, too. All you need is a good ephemeris or almanac. The information is already processed and calculated for you. Just look it up next to the date in question.

When the Moon phase is in harmony with what you want to plant, check it against the Moon's current astrological sign. Then use the list below to determine whether or not it's a good time to plant. Note: Plants can be successfully set out or potted up during any fruitful or neutral sign.

Fruitful Signs: Although every plant enjoys the energies of these signs, they are especially beneficial to those that produce flowers, pods, and berries.

Cancer, Scorpio, Taurus, Sagittarius, Pisces
Neutral Signs: These signs carry a more subtle vibration, but still are of benefit to all plants. I like to use their energies when working with leafy herbs.

Libra, Capricorn, Aquarius
Barren Signs: Try to avoid planting or transplanting during these signs. Their energies are best used for weeding, trimming, and cutting back.

Aries, Gemini, Leo, Virgo

The Strawberry Pot
Now that you know when and when not to transplant, you're ready to move your plants to their permanent homes. Before you do, though, you may wish to consider a couple of alternative indoor gardening ideas. One of them involves the use of a strawberry pot. Usually made of clay, these pots provide a great way to display your herbs. And because there are multiple openings on the sides of these containers, you can grow lots of plants in minimal space. Without a doubt, these pots are the indoor gardener's dream come true.

Strawberry pots work well with nearly any type of herb. (The only exceptions are mints and those herbs that have rhizomes instead of root systems. For these types, please see the section on Conventional Potting.) Some ideal candidates are marigolds, ivy, lavender, sage, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, sweet marjoram, oregano, and lady's mantle. If you'd like to work with strawberry pots, try the tips below. You'll not only be amazed at the beauty of your garden, but at the multitude of plants you can successfully grow.

Purchase a piece of one-inch plastic pipe (available in the plumbing section of the hardware store) for each pot to be used. Cut the pipes the same length as the depth of the pots.
•Using an ice pick, carefully poke several rows of holes down the length of the pipe. Insert the perforated pipe in the center of the pot, and add an inch or so of gravel or small pebbles.
•Fill the container with potting mix, stopping to transplant your seedlings as you reach the side holes. Carefully tamp down the soil around each plant, saying something like:
I plant you here now, little sprout
Grow green and strong-let your roots stretch out
Enjoy your home; thrive easily
As I will, so mote it be
•Give your plants a thorough watering by pouring water down the pipe. Repeat whenever the soil on top is dry to the touch.
•Fertilize once a month with compost tea (see recipe) or liquid fertilizer. Just pour the solution down the pipe as you would for normal watering.

Gardening with Hydroponics
Another idea for indoor gardeners is to create a water garden with the use of hydroponics. Don't let the word scare you. Hydroponics is just a fancy term for growing plants in water instead of soil. And believe it or not, herbs thrive in this type of environment. The reason for this is simple: In the conventional garden, all plant nutrients must be converted to liquid for root absorption. With hydroponics, no conversion is necessary. Other benefits include the absence of soil-borne diseases, mildew, weeds, and insect-related problems. In fact, the only drawback to hydroponics is that you cannot use the system to germinate seeds. In order for it to work successfully, you must garden with seedlings.

The Hydroponic System
While you can purchase a hydroponic system through mail order, it really isn't necessary. Creating your own is easy, inexpensive, and gratifying. Just follow the directions below.
2 plastic tubs or large plastic mixing bowls (one should be slightly larger than the other; the idea is for there to be at least a 2-inch bottom clearance in the larger container when the smaller one nests inside of it)
6 strips of polyester fabric cut 1-inch wide and 6-inches long
for wicks
Ice pick
Sharp craft knife
Liquid fertilizer
Vermiculite, sphagnum moss, pebbles, or gravel
Seedlings

Start by turning the smaller container upside down on a flat surface. Then use the ice pick to poke 6 evenly spaced holes in the bottom.

Use the craft knife to enlarge the holes to approximately one-half inch.

Thread a fabric strip through a hole so that half the length rests inside the container and the other half, outside. Repeat with the other wicks.

Turn the container right side up and fill it half full with vermiculite, sphagnum moss, pebbles, or gravel.

Completely remove all soil from seedling root systems. (An easy way to do this is to soak the soil away in a sink of tepid water.)

Place the plants in the container, then finish filling it with the sphagnum moss, vermiculite, pebbles, and gravel. As you plant, use the chant described in the Strawberry Pot section.

Following the directions on the package, prepare two quarts of liquid fertilizer. If you'd rather use compost tea, just dillute one quart of tea with one quart of water. (See compost tea recipe on the next page.)

Place the smaller container inside the large one, and pour the fertilizer evenly over the plants. (At this point, you may want to lift the planted container slightly to see if the wicks are resting in the fertilizer solution. If not, mix up a little more fertilizer and add it to the upper container until the wicks are at least partially covered by the liquid.)

Give yourself a pat on the back! You've just created your very own water garden.

Maintaining the hydroponic garden is just as simple as creating it. All you have to do is mist the plants every day and keep a close eye on the liquid levels in the bottom container. When the levels reach one inch, just pour some more fertilizer over the upper container. A few words of caution, though: Plants grow much more quickly in a hydroponic environment, so they'll need trimming more often than their soil-bound counterparts.

Conventional Potting
If neither of the ideas listed above have much appeal, then conventional indoor gardening is for you. There's nothing wrong with that. As much as I like the more unconventional methods, there's something both comforting and invigorating about an assortment of lush, thriving herbs living happily on the windowsill and countless other areas of the home. If this appeals to you, too, grab some gravel or pebbles, some potting mix, and your sterile pots. With the directions below, your seedlings will have new homes in no time flat.
•Herbs thrive in well-drained soil. To assure good drainage, add approximately one inch of pebbles or gravel to the bottom of each pot.
•Fill each pot half full with potting mix.
•Remove seedlings from their current containers using the method described in the Thinning and Strengthening section. Note: To avoid confusion, it's a good idea to work with one seedling at time during the transplanting process.
•Nestle the seedling in the pot and finish filling with potting mix to secure it. As you plant the seedling, use the chant described in the Strawberry

Edition details

• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 156718443X
• ISBN 13: 9781567184433
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 192