GardeningwithMysti

Herb Gardening

by Mysti/Fran Hafey

Herbs have so many purposes... for the kitchen, medicine chest,crafts and magic. They grow nicely in pots, boxes, and of course, in any garden. I love perennial herbs but unfortunately many are annuals. I plant dill, marjoram, chives, basil, chammomile, thyme and some others every year. I love the flavor of fresh herbs in my food. I have lemon thyme, sage, a few types, oregano, rosemary, a few types of mint, yarrow, horseradish, parsley, lavender,and echinacea that come up every year and I usually add a few new ones every year. I love to have other plants mingled around my herbs like thrift, carnations, daisies, bachelor buttons, morning glories, rock soapwort, dianthus, snow-in-summer, petunias, dusty miller, clematis, roses, coneflowers and other favorites. As you can see, I love flowers, plants and herbs very much. I have herbs growing around my patio in brick sills and some interesting containers. I even like to have a couple of cherry tomatos, peppers and compact cucumber plants in containers on the patio too. Remember, winter or summer, that potted plants need more water than those in the ground, they dry out faster. I love to take a leisurely stroll to the gardens, to cut fresh herbs, as I am cooking for dinner.

I use the herbs for potpourri, dried arrangements, cooking, magic and even for medicinal purposes when I can. I am still learning about how to use them as medicines and teas, but find it very interesting. I bring the containers in when winter comes around and usually have herbs all winter long. Some actually do better in pots and you can even bring in a bit of what's in the garden in planters too, for the long winter. The cherry tomatoes and peppers can do pretty well in winter in a warm, sunny area of the house. I love the ones that bloom, like German chammomile and St.John's wort, it's always nice and cheery. The ones that give off a luscious scent are great all over the house. I make sage bundles after I've dried them by hanging them up in the loft above the kitchen. We're going to try to dry lots more this year and use them in our homemade crafts.

Herbs are not that difficult to grow and can be nicely tucked in a empty spot in the garden, along walkways, by the back door or front too. They can be cut back repeatedly during the summer and will come back nicer and bigger the next year, at least the ones in the garden that are hardy and perennials.

I like to plant by the Moon cycles when gardening. The Farmers almanac can help, plus Llewellyn's Moon sign book, by Gloria Star, which includes a Gardening Almanac.You'll be amazed how this book will show you when to plant and when not to, and when to harvest too. Herbs help with Magic when doing spellcasting or placed on our alters to bring about certain energies and intent.

I love herbs and I know you will too, so try it this year. See which ones you're best at growing and have lots of fun.

~Bright blessings.

Plants that Butterflies and Hummingbirds Love

by Mysti/Fran Hafey

Butterflies and hummingbirds adore flowers and plants with vibrant colors such as purple, orange, yellow, white and red. Bunching your plants together make it more likely that they will revisit a group than single plants. Plants that have flowers that hang downward or have ruffled edges seem to be harder for butterflies to sip from. Having flowers growing up a trellis is a great way to grow your vine plants. I love what are called butterly bushes (Buddleia davidii) with their long tubular shaped flowers, which actually are many little blooms on one clump. We have hybrid honesysuckle in a large wooden barrel in the corner by our patio and beside our frog pond which also attracts many butterflies and hummingbirds of all colors and sizes and my lovely dragonflies too. The dragonflies and frogs like the mosquitoes and other bugs and hang out around the water.

Hummingbirds love almost all the same flowers as butterflies with are also great pollinators. Hanging hummer feeders is easy. I prefer to make my own sugar water without the red coloring. If you have red or yellow on the feeder, they will come. I even have a purple feeder, they seem to like pretty well too. Just mix your sugar two water to one sugar. Be sure to keep them clean and free from ants. Beware of bees too, they love a good, sweet drink too now and then.

Certain plants are irrestisible to butterflies and hummingbirds. Marigolds, zinnias, hollyhocks, morning glories, and daylillies are just some they love. They also like herbs too and the most seductive to them is borage, dill, fennel, chives and wild bergamot. Some other great lures are wisteria, coreopsis, white clover, sweet alyssum and sedum. I have daylillies and sedum in my front flower beds along with echinaecea, or purple coneflowers. We have butterflies and hummingbirds everywhere. But remember, when making a butterfly garden you also make an environment that's good for them to lay their eggs that become catepillars. We try not to have all the yummy flowers they love too close to our garden because they will mature and eat cabbage, radishes and bean leaves like crazy.

It's all worth it though, to have these beautiful creatures in your garden. The hummingbirds will come back year after year once they know you will supply them with their "energy food." Remember, water is important to attract many beautiful creatures to your yard, so place bird baths, ponds, rocks and interesting containers for them to drink from and I know you will be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy~