Tag Archives: carrots

February 29, 2024 · 8:10 pm

Spring Greens )O(

Merry meet all,

I am so done with mundane society. I desperately want to move to Middle Earth and be an elf- and I want there to be no Sauron ruling the world there either. I’m ready to go, all packed. Oh I wish I could. Don’t we all? Instead, I am stuck in this mortal realm. But is it really that bad? My rent increased but not to an astronomical height thankfully. There is hope yet despite wars, starvation, crime, drugs, poverty, weapons blasting buildings, desperation, environmental degradation, pollution, climate change. I have to believe there is yet hope. The odds seem stacked against us but if we lose hope, then the bad guys win.

I find joy in my sweet cat, watching birds visit the bird feeder, and in knowing spring will soon grace us with her return. The Crone will eventually give way to the Maiden. The earth will turn green again and be full of fertile energy. Yes spring equinox surprises us next month. It almost seems hard to believe. I hate it that my tired feet suffer over hard packed snow too. I miss my garden so much. Feeding the birds and helping my herb seedlings I have been growing all winter comforts me.

Today I bought a bag of soil for starting seeds and a large white bucket. I plan to begin my onion seeds soon as well as other herbs. My seed starting project with the ziplock bags is going well. The mint seeds, the marshmallow seeds have taken off so far and one purple basil seed germinated. The other seeds are germinating much slower. I like to start seeds in ziplock bags that way because I can know for sure then what the germination rate is. I can’t wait for spring. I am sure I am not the only one.

The interior of my apartment looks like a smaller Middle Earth. I am sure I belong there. Alas, spring equinox begins in March on the 21st. We can move our clocks ahead one hour in March. March means spring and I can’t wait. I know March is also the cruelest month weather wise and so is April but after that, the world gets green. 

I have been thinking hard about where I will grow my onions and potatoes this summer. I can grow the potatoes in grow bags. I have to buy another grow bag because then I can get a bigger harvest. I am not sure yet where I will grow my onions. I have time yet to decide that. This is the time when most gardeners who are serious about gardening decide those sorts of things though. I wish I had the room for growing a hundred potatoes and onions. I would be stocked all winter. I have only a small space. I am growing garlic too. I decided that I want to grow purple onions in between the rows where the garlic is growing in the box. I have yet to decide where I might grow the white onions though. Then there is the matter of growing root veggies successfully. Only too often I get the greens of the root veggie but not the root I want. But now, thanks to a hurricane ironically, a large branch has fallen off the nearby tree in my garden. So now my garden gets more light which it needs. As for the soil itself, I have successfully created compost. I also plan to really dig the soil and add the right nutrients in the right amounts. I also want to grow the onions in containers as the rest of the space is claimed by herbs. So, it is probably understandable that I am really thinking about where to grow the white onions. 

I want to grow carrots in the white bucket and a turnip. It can be done, I have seen it on YouTube videos. The bucket is food safe. I’m planning on starting the carrot seeds indoors and when the temperatures are warm enough, moving the white bucket outdoors. I need to get a lot of soil though. I think I can even get it at the dollar store. I do not have any fertilizer though. I can always work in the fertilizer though when I mix up the soil and water it. I can also add the ground up eggshells to the soil. The bucket is big and deep. I will need a lot. Canadian Tire, the local hardware store, did not have the large bags of soil I wanted. I can use that for the onions and my other starts. Yeah it is easy to add a fertilizer to soil. I am sure carrots are forgiving about the quality of soil they will grow in. They need nitrogen to grow the greens then they need less nitrogen to grow the root and more phosphorus later to grow the root. I plan to also cover the topsoil with shavings (for guinea pig cages) to keep the soil moist to ensure the carrots grow their very best. I can’t wait to get started. Carrots don’t like to be disturbed. I don’t see the point of thinning. I want to arrange the seeds in a way where I have control over how many sprout. I will arrange then in a clock face pattern. Thinning seeds, to me, is wasting seeds. I don’t have the money for that- basically throwing seeds away. So yeah I am excited to grow plants again! C’mon, spring!

I want to grow catnip for Penny of course. Last year, I had nettle not catnip. This year, well I should just start the seeds in a ziplock baggie. That usually tells me which seeds will germinate and which ones won’t. Of course, the flip side of this is that I have to keep the catnip away from Penny. I will start the seeds in May then. That way I don’t have a long wait to keep her away from eating it. I bought purple top white globe seeds and sweet pea seeds. I also bought ashwagandha seeds and St.John’s wort seeds. I can’t wait to start those seeds either. 

Yup I look forward to spring’s return. It feels so long ago. Time is speeding up and where it leads us to, I do not know. I had special handouts from Herbal Academy about herbs laminated at the local print centre. I plan to have a more special handouts/notes laminated. It makes it easier to refer to them and they are protected from stains too. I want to keep them in the kitchen, not just my binder to refer to. 

I have plenty to look forward to this spring! I am eager to get started. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

 

 

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February 7, 2023 · 8:13 pm

Seeds of spring- Imbolc

Merry meet all,

Hello my lovely readers! Even though we are on the cusp of spring, winter lingers. Last night, the howling wind kept me up half the night. 

I have a lot on my mind right now. My grandmother is not well. She has to be moved to the city and that means uprooting her. I hope it all works out smoothly. I am very worried about her. My grandmother is in her nineties but is in otherwise good health. 

I scattered birdseed at the Mumford Terminal  and in my backyard. I saw the rat and waited and watched for a sign that the birds had found the seed. Indeed they did. I look after all my little ones. It’s cold out and I worry about them. Food is scarce for my avian friends. 

I just watched the amazing movie Alien with a friend. I respect the exhausting effort that must have gone into making the movie. Yes art means effort. And that movie truly is amazing. I remember watching the sequel years ago. 

I donated my copy of Todd Keisling’s book to the library. Due to my negative experience with him, I saw no sense in keeping it. I only welcome positive energy here. 

It is spring in my apartment! If it can’t be spring outdoors, it will be so indoors. I’m growing a pot of basil and rosemary cutting and I have a pot of parsley. I set up my grow light kit where I am growing a number of herbs by seed. I have another pot with radishes and carrots germinating.  I hope they all grow well. I know the herbs will grow well in the grow light kit. I will post what I am starting by seed in the grow light kit soon once I find the list. I can’t remember right now. I keep watering the herbs a little, enough to moisten them but not drown them. 

I love herbs. I’m progressing nicely with the herbal courses at the Herbal Academy. I am on Unit 2 in Advanced and I am enjoying the Mastering Herbal Formulations course too. I recently reviewed the Becoming a Herbalist mini course that the Herbal Academy once again offered for free. Tomorrow I no longer have access to it and so I ensured I downloaded the pdf of the course. 

I have to work harder at composing the 15-20 monographs for the Advanced course. I hate distractions and I am my own worst enemy. The herbs and flowers are dormant now but soon spring will raise her green head. I cannot wait. It cheers me though I love the dark half of the year. I am a herbalist/ gardener by heart. I water the seedlings in the grow light kit the most because the soil dries out so fast. The green seedlings need moist soil. That is how they thrive. 

I am so grateful the Herbal Academy gives me so much time to complete the courses. I can study at a better pace that way. I never stop learning and I love everything I am learning. There is so much for me to learn. It is a truly fascinating subject!

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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September 21, 2022 · 1:01 pm

Autumnal garden activities )O(

Merry meet all,

Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox. It surprised us all  here in Halifax. The leaves are showing those famous fiery colors. The elderberries ripen on the stems, the queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod and burdock slowly go to seed. The sky is overcast here, and everyone is scrambling to get ready for hurricane Fiona. 

I was out in my rain soaked garden this morning. Slugs clung to leaves while wasps sipped pollen. This is a bittersweet time for me. The squash and tomatoes are setting fruit late this season, I am not sure why. It could be because we had a heatwave this summer. You would think that heatwave would have been beneficial for sun loving tomatoes but no. The tomatoes are growing now. Ah well. 

I have to put my garden to sleep for the cold winter ahead and I am sharing how I plan to do that in this post today. My witch hazel flowers late in the year. I love my witch hazel. I plan to buy a huge bag of soil and arrange the soil around the trunk, then I will add a big bag of worm castings into the soil to leave nutrients for the witch hazel. I might even buy some wood chips to act as mulch. I am trying to think of what else I can leave there as a nutrient rich compostable mulch for the roots to feed on all winter. I would have to remember to remove the wood chips because the lungwort blooms wonderfully under the witch hazel in the spring. 

The leaves cascade to the earth every autumn. I usually just keep the leaves there all over my garden all winter. They act as a natural mulch/ blanket that protects my garden during the harsh winter. I rake them away in the spring. I may sprinkle worm castings, bonemeal, eggshells and coffee grounds all over my garden. 

The leaves of the plants, the vines, flowers and whatever I don’t harvest naturally dies back. This is the most free natural compost ever. I have a wooden compost box. I will store the faded dead leaves, branches, stems in the box. Most of the foliage I leave where it is to act as a natural compost and soil nutrients all winter. I spread the soil I used to grow the potatoes over my garden. The soil was amazing! The soil was loose, loamy, obviously nutrient rich and dark black. I loved it and I am sure the garden did too. The rain washes away the soil so it was nice to add rich soil to the garden. 

I still have to harvest the celery, lemon basil, raspberry leaves, mint, tomatoes, healthy disease free witch hazel leaves and beans. The red flowers of the scarlet runner beans are growing so well now. The pollinators are busy. The beans also grow overnight it seems. The leaves I keep on the soil are a nice refuge for hardworking insects too. I’m letting the purple coneflower go to seed. The bees love purple coneflowers. The nasturtiums are still blooming, and I watched as a wasp visited one fiery nasturtium bloom this morning. The wasps built a nest on the inside of the shed door. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I harvested the beautiful Chinese lanterns in the photo above. I am amazed at how rich the colours are. I’m waiting and hoping the calendula blossoms soon. I have no idea why it takes so long. I harvested and pressed the lovely yellow heliopsis and I have pressed many other flowers. I want to make a Samhain/ autumn candle lantern like I did with the  Summer Solstice lantern. I want to paint the jar a rich deep Burgundy colour so the autumn colors really pop out. Yup I think it will be gorgeous. 

Pressed purple coneflower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still have to harvest the elecampane roots, seeds and flowers. The stalk is turning brown. I will harvest in October. 

I have recipes to make elderberry mead, hawthorn cordial, elderberry syrup, cranberry sauce . They are perfect for guarding the health of your immune system all winter. Winter is known for the time when colds, flus and illnesses spread. Those recipes are sure to boost your immune system! Elecampane has inula in the roots. I can’t wait to harvest elecampane and feel like a true herbalist. I have harvested mullein root, and I want to harvest dandelion and burdock after a cold snap. The winter squash has a flower now. I don’t understand why it waited till now but plants follow their own calendar, not the calendar we impose on them. 

Elecampane

 

What to Forage in Fall: 30+ Edible and Medicinal Plants and Mushrooms

I’ve included the recipes here for your own convenience. I hope you try them and let me know in the comments below how it went. I am available here if you have any questions on how to make herbal remedies to guard your health and your family’s health this coming fall season. Now is the time to stock up on ginger, onions, elderberries ( remember: they are not edible raw!), echinacea tinctures, etc. But more on that later! Blessed Mabon to everyone! Or, if you prefer, Happy Autumn Equinox! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

How To Clear The Garden In The Fall – What To Do With Your Plants & Soil!

How to Make Elderberry Mead

https://theherbalacademy.com/homemade-bug-bite-salve/

https://theherbalacademy.com/homemade-fire-cider/

https://theherbalacademy.com/herbal-cough-syrup/

https://theherbalacademy.com/foraging-goldenrod/

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April 25, 2022 · 12:27 pm

Sustaining Seedlings

Merry meet all,

This post tells you how to sustain your indoor seedlings until it is time to transplant them. I was out in my garden this morning. I’m delighted to see so many plants come up, thumbing their green noses at winter. Lady’s mantle, chives, raspberry, mullein, tiger lilies, my haskap berries, lavender, sage and red clover. These are just a few. I live in zone 6. It is not time yet to transplant the seedlings yet (how I wish). It’s hard to keep them going but this post will share tips on how to grow them to their very best potential. 

The first tip I want to mention here is not to overwater them. This is why it pays off big time to do your research on plants. Sage, lavender, thyme, oregano and rosemary may originate from the Mediterranean. They like hot, arid conditions. I mist the plants with a spray bottle once to twice a day. That is it. If you do drown your plants, that can cause root rot or damping off. Then the seedlings die. Mist them, get the surface of the water wet or maybe a little more. I water them in the morning. 

Make sure your plants get lots of access to sunlight. You can use a grow light if you wish. This is almost more important than the plants getting water. The natural sunlight encourages the strong plant and root growth vital for them growing so strong. Plants can turn and stretch to reach the sun. This is why you hear people telling you to turn the pots. Plants reach toward the sun. 

Good soil is the next point here. My seedlings are healthier this year because I used good quality soil. I mentioned this in a previous post. I am sure it is because I used good soil instead of poor soil from the dollar store. The bad soil lacks the nutrients. 

While we are at it, get good seeds too. I ordered a package of mystery seeds from Green Witch co. I am so glad I did. I have never had such good luck with seedlings as this spring. I am sure it is a combination of the watering techniques, the soil and the seeds. Plus, I don’t use peat pots. I prefer the plastic starter pots over peat pots. This is a big tip. The peat pots don’t hold water the same way as peat pots do. I also have McKenzie heirloom seeds and organic seeds. 

Some people rush in using potting soil to start their seeds in. Nope, you need a good seed starting mix to grow seeds in. When they outgrow the starter pots and need to be transplanted into bigger pots, then you can use potting soil. You can even mix the two soil types together. 

Be gentle with the seedlings. Transplant them gently into their new pots. Be careful with the seedlings and they take over from there. Plants are living beings and have a mind of their own. Fertilize them when they are in their new pots placed on a window ledge where sunlight streams in. Watch them grow beautifully. It is amazing how plants work. 

The last point to make here is to have patience with the seedlings. You were a baby once too, and your mother was patient with you. Treat your plants the same way and they will grow into beautiful strong plants. Save the strong plants. I am not too happy that not all my seedlings have survived. I just do what mother nature does. I encourage the strongest seedlings to grow. 

Store the seeds you are not using in paper envelopes or very dry jars. Seeds will last a long time that way. Be sure to label and date the containers. 

If you follow all these tips, your plants may make it to transplant time. Never let the soil dry out, keep it moist. Place them in sun or under grow lights. Good luck planting!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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October 2, 2021 · 9:40 pm

October Harvest

 

Merry meet all,

October is here!! I am so excited I hope you are too. I have a small pumpkin dwarfed by my  HUGE pumpkin. I am storing them for Samhain. I’m busy prepping for Samhain I look forward to reading the honking’ huge October newsletter produced by the Horror Writers Association. My blog post about doing a paranormal investigation goes live on October 11th, as part of the Halloween Haunts blog event. I was interviewed by Amanda for the Feminine Macabre interview. That went live on the 29th. Lots happening!!!

This is the time to stock up on root veggies! I have a few squashes, pumpkin in chunks, applesauce, elderberry jam stored away. Yup the cold season has arrived. Like it or not though, it does entice us with the gifts it brings, such as ciders, stews, foods to keep us warm and healthy. I have to puree the pumpkin, which I will do tomorrow. The rind on the squashes is so hard it’s like wood. I have no idea how to cut through that. Pumpkins can be cooked into breads, soups, pies and cookies. I buy smaller pumpkins for cooking – and roasting seeds. I get larger pumpkins for carving. Pureed pumpkin can be stored in the freezer. Once you puree squash, you have a variety of healthful options available for you. Butternut squash also makes good soups. Add ginger, cayenne, and lemon for some tantalizing flavour. 

 

I want to harvest the remaining herbs from my garden before the heavy frost sets in. I have to collect all the lemon balm ( a huge task in itself(, the oregano, some thyme, lavender, and mint. I’m letting the tomatoes ripen on the vine. There is a risk of mildfrost tonight. Later in the month, the frost will be heavier. I bought a huge herb drying rack to dry my herbs. I am grateful for the space but it is too big. I figured it would cost too much to return it to Amazon. I nailed in a big hook in the wall. I need to store away a lot of herbs. The size of it helps. That is the only corner where I can hang it up. I’m just anxious because of the resident overly curious cat who may snoop and sniff out the herbs. Here is a photo of the rack:

 

But it will prove useful this fall and many years to come. I love fall. It is the most beautiful and magical time of year. The leaves are turning, pumpkins regal front decks and store baskets.This is a good time to harvest the herbs you grew with care all summer. Harvest herbs in the morning after the dew has dried but before the frost kills them. Let them dry completely before storing in jars to prevent mold from ruining the herbs. Put them in brown perforated paper bags, tie them upside down to dry or arrange them on cookie sheets to dry. Then, once totally dry and crisp, you are free to use them for tincture making, syrups, teas, cordials or whatever suits your fancy. Know the herbs from each other too. It is so easy to mistake lemon balm from mint. They look and smell alike when dry. It’s easy to confuse yourself. 

I went to the Farmers Market this morning. I forgot a turnip, but I did come home with carrots, leeks, basil + oregano sea salt, and parsnip. – and alcohol cider.  I love parsnip and crunchy sweet carrots. Later, I bought hamburger meat. I can now make stew. Yum!! The farmers market at the Forum was smaller than the market at Seaport. But since we are in a pandemic, a smaller market pleased me. I loved the cider. Oh my gosh it tasted so good. That man is a master at brewing cider wine. Wow I never tasted anything so fine. I am all set for fall. The people at the market ( forum) were so pleasant. I may return there. 

Last night, I removed mullein seed pods from the stalk. Unfortunately for me, the seed pods were hard as rock. I stored the seeds in a labeled jar. The seeds are toxic so I was careful. I am truly blessed with a harvest of herbs, veggies, seeds, and flowers. This is an ideal time to focus on what we harvested and to thank those who bestowed it upon us. Besides Mother Nature and Father sky, we can take the time to reflect who else is so generous to us. It’s a good time to give as generously to those who were good to us. That is an exchange of good energy and is a way of ensuring good energy follows you!!! The Universe hears everything you ask for, so keep sending out good energy and it will reciprocate. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

 

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September 8, 2021 · 11:41 am

Autumn’s Bounty )O(

 

Merry meet all,

I have a busy month ahead of me. I’m taking two courses online, 1 the Short Story Fundamentals with Writers Digest University and 2, the Introductory Course at the Herbal Academy. I love the Herbal course so much. I mean I like the writing course but the herb bug has bit me and bit me hard. I came home with a bottle of organic apple cider vinegar, a big jar of honey, index cards, a kitchen scale, an array of herbs- calendula, echinacea root, rose petals, elderberries, nettle, astralagus root, licorice root, eleuthero (?), ginger root, fennel seed, and cheesecloth, a beeswax candle. Wow. I was so tired after that excursion. Yesterday I bought a meter of muslin to make sachets from, and the herb supplies above. I feel like a real herbalist now. I grow lavender, lemon balm and catnip in the garden. 

I am eager to try the recipes. I already have several books about herbs. I look forward to expanding my knowledge. I may even get a new career out of this. I’m storing the notes in a binder and decorating the pages with butterfly stickers. If any of you are interested in learning more about the Herbal Academy, I’ve included a link: https://theherbalacademy.com/?awt_a=5cXw&awt_l=Bv79G&awt_m=mUTf3FOR61wS3Xw.

I treated myself to a large cauldron. The cauldron is 8.5″ inches high and 7/5 in diameter. The cauldron is even adorned with a pentacle. I love it. It is so beautiful and big! I blessed it on my altar and can’t wait to use it in rituals. 

The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is Mabon! I love Mabon. I am bittersweet because I love my garden. Autumn is my time. I feel most alive during the autumnal season. Hello, yeah I am a Witch. Of course, I love fall. I even have a pumpkin patch this year. However, I have only yet seen male flowers. The killing frost is drawing near, which makes me nervous. The tomato plants are just now bearing fruit. I can’t bring these plants indoors. They will just have to grow faster. I chopped the aged lily vines down this morning, shredded them and added them to the compost bin. The other night we had racccons on the prowl. The mischievous prowlers wanted the bird seed. Penny crouched on the post, her ears flattened against her head and hissed at the interloper. The nerve of that intruder! They moved on to the neighbours yard where there are many bird feeders. I am sure they had a good meal. 

Living this close to nature and still in the city makes life here interesting. I know many people see raccoons as pests but to me, they are a sign of the blessings and gifts from the Goddess. Deer appear in my garden too. Birds of all feathers, cats, the neighbours dog and insects are frequently in the yard too. It’s brimming with life. I am not complaining. 

The potato patch has big long vines. I can’t wait to harvest ripe earthy spuds! I can’t wait to taste a home-grown potato! My onions are not doing so well. I did notice though that they tend to grow better if grown near potatoes. The tomato vines are covered with yellow flowers, a good sign. The cucumbers are still growing and I should have some for harvesting soon. The chard is now growing in a big pot, nice and big. I moved the chard from the veggie patch to a pot. It’s growing better because it gets more sunlight. 

My apartment is nestled in the heart of nature. This is the right place for a nature loving Witch like me. The nasturtiums have taken over, the lemon balm has also taken over, and the mint is following the lemon balm’s example. Next spring, I plan to divide the HUGE patch of lemon balm. Bees love lemon balm. The botanical lemon balm’s name is Melissa officials. The Greek word for bees is Melissa. Lemon balm has been used for herbal purposes for 2,000 years! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

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