Tag Archives: compost

April 12, 2026 · 4:12 pm

Herbs 101

 

 

Merry meet all,

I keep checking my seedling pots. The hardest part of growing herbs from seeds lies in having patience. I am not the most patient type, but when it comes to herbs, patience is mandatory. 

Today’s post will be all about herbs. When I’m out on a walk or checking the garden, I see signs of new growth everywhere – the crocuses popped up, the sage leaves have gone from grey to green and birds peck at the ground. I’m growing a pot of mint in the kitchen. New stems and leaves have emerged, arching toward the sun. 

Growing herbs is a great way to get to know the herbs. It helps in identifying herbs (if you’re anything like me and forget what you planted, lol), and learning to understand what they need. Obtain a spray bottle. Save the water you used to boil eggs in and pour that into the spray bottle, then mist your plants every so often. The water saved from boiling eggs in contains calcium and potassium, necessary natural fertilizers. Never drown the seedlings in a waterfall, mist them with water, especially when they are tiny and just growing their true leaves. Place them in a south-facing window so they receive the maximum amount of sunlight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered organic all-natural clary sage seeds from Strictly medicinal – (https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/).  I sprinkled the clary sage seeds into the seedling pot and waited a week and a half. I’m growing chives, clary sage, spearmint and a few other seedlings have popped up, but I can’t identify what they are yet. I also added stinging nettle, catnip, basil, oregano, ashwagandha and borage to the pot of mint. I am short on space, but I have lots of enthusiasm to grow these herbs. I have to wait and see what comes up. My patience paid off though. Now I get to watch them grow. Spraying them with water lightly also greatly decreases the chances of the seedlings getting that annoying fungus in the soil. 

I’m growing catnip from seed in the mint pot because my cat can’t get up on the kitchen island. So the herbs can grow undeterred by a certain overly curious feline. 

Do not fertilize the seedlings heavily when they are growing their true leaves. Wait until the seedlings are about 6 to 8 inches tall and may be ready to potted up again or brought outdoors to the garden after the frost is gone. This is their most important growing phase right now when they get their true leaves. Herbs really take off after that. They can’t be dunked in water, pot overturned or neglected. They need all the care and attention they can get in their early stages. 

We often forget that herbs such as rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, sage, oregano, thyme, basil and chives originated in the warm Mediterranean climate. The above mentioned herbs are all part of the Lamiaceae family, the mint family. My mother’s rosemary plant is studded with the most beautiful blue blossoms, seated in the cool basement of her home. All her other plants are upstairs on the main floor. If she let the rosemary live up on the main floor during the winter, it would have dried out. My mint dried out, but now that it is spring, it has new growth. Since the mint plant is more established and growing in a deeper pot, I water it more thoroughly than I would my seedlings. Anyone serious about growing lovely, richly aromatic herbs has to get to know what herbs need. It can help to think about the type of climate the herbs originally had in the Mediterranean. I live in Atlantic Canada, which means they don’t get a longer, hot season and we have harsh winters here. But my Mom’s oregano, sage, lavender and thyme are true perennials and are growing back. 

Sage, oregano, basil, chives, mint, lavender, thyme and basil all need mostly full sun and moisture. Once it is warm enough to plant your herbs outdoors on a sunny deck or straight into the garden, make it a ritual. Pick a day when first, all chances of frost are gone and secondly, pick a dry, slightly windy day after the dew has dried. Bring your herbs outdoors. Bonus points if you are hardening them to the outdoor temperatures. You can always bring them in at night if you still feel it is too cold out. Gather all your tools, such as a trowel, a watering can, a gardening shovel and your organic fertilizer. You ARE using organic fertilizer, right? Dig a hole in the garden, remove the herb seedling from the pot, tear gently or tug the roots apart to encourage new and strong growth and place it in the hole. Add the fertilizer around the roots of the plant, then fill in with the soil. Water the seedling well and admire your seedling. Welcome it to the garden. Yes, you can talk to your plants. Ignore your nosy neighbors. Hold the seedling/s in your hands and feel its energy, and welcome it to the garden. Now let mama nature take care of the rest. Don’t crowd all the seedlings. Check the seed packet to know how much room herbs need from each other. 

Gypsum, fish emulsion and Gaia Green are all options for organic fertilizers. Never add harsh chemicals in any form, pesticides or insecticides to your garden. We need to help our plants grow. Insects are our unsung heroes. They do the hard work! Aphids trying to take over? Get ladybugs to eat them. Hang a bird feeder in your garden to feed  your avian friends, they will hunt rats, mice, voles and bugs in the garden. If you are really feeling ambitous, hang a bat house/ feeder. They eat tons of mosquitoes. Let nature fight nature. The best way to help pollinators, birds and bats who would be more than ready to keep pests down is to have healthy, natural soil. That means using no non organic fertilizers. Strong, healthy plants are able to defend themselves from predators and pests, too. 

Soil is vital. Organic soil is vital, composed of tiny, microscopic microbes – tiny bugs. Organic soil should be rich with nutrients and a good sign of organic soil is it will often contains tons of earthworms. When I would set new soil down in my garden when I lived on Crown Drive, I would work the soil in, then let the earthworms and beetles(!) aerate the soil. Earthworms are a good sign of good soil! Use compost and organic mulching methods and you will be rewarded with rich, nutrient soil just perfect for grow herbs in. Ask mother earth and father sky to bless your plants and/or your chosen deity to bless your plants. Add corresponding gemstones into the soil arranged about the base of the plants. 

My mom just accidentally knocked a pot of my baby seedlings to the floor. I was able to find my tiny seedlings and so I tucked them back into the soil. The roots were more established than I thought. The roots reached way down into the soil. Nature will never cease to amaze me. 

If you take all that care and reverence for the gifts that Mother Nature bestows upon us, whether that is a bee pollinating lavender, birds singing or dragonflies flitting from flower to flower, you will have beautiful and aromatic herbs in your garden. I hope these tips help you in your own gardening journey. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

Links to organic seed suppliers: 

Strictly Medicinal – https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/

Annapolis Seeds – https://annapolisseeds.com/

 

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June 29, 2024 · 5:56 pm

Compost Gold

Merry meet all,

I am so happy! I now have a compost tumbler. I love it! My boyfriend Derrick helped me set it up. He is so skilled with mechanical things. I helped him and together we had it fully functional. Prior to this, I had a compost pile setup in a corner of my garden beneath a maple tree for 2-3 years. The wooden box has all but fallen apart. The compost eventually turned to soil which was more like thatch. But now the soil and compost in the box is in the tumbler. I already had soil started. 

The Compost Tumbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dug and dug in the little wooden box till most of the soil and fresh compost was loose. I put clean garden soil in the tumbler and added a few leaves and stems. I put on gloves and sneakers and got to work. He helped set it up and I could not wait to begin using the tumbler. I stirred up the soil in the box and then added it to the tumbler using a large garden spade. Back and forth I went from the compost pile in the box to the tumbler. I made a lot of trips back and forth till my arms were like rubber. 

The soil was so earthy and rich! I can’t wait to get to add it to my garden! Now I will have great soil rich with nutrients. I closed the lid and turned the tumbler several times to stir the soil up. It was hard because the tumbler was heavy with rich soil. Once that gets going, every few days I have to turn it. Then once that really gets going, then I can start on the second side of the tumbler. The compost tumbler has a divider to divide fresh and older compost. 

The compost will heat up. That is a good sign of the beneficial organisms multiplying and working hard for me. I watched a few bees pollinating the raspberry flowers. I shall soon have raspberries thanks to them! That is why I would never use any pesticides, herbicides or insecticides in my garden. My garden is a safe haven for the hardworking unsung heroes- the pollinators! I know that without them, my garden would not be as beautiful and soul stirring as it is now. 

The compost tumbler was expensive but I believe that it is worth every penny. I already had soil to add and that was already composting so that was a huge advantage. The compost tumbler will keep rats out and other vermin too. Yes I very much look forward to working with my new compost tumbler. It is a genius idea!

I ordered the grey Tauriel maxi chemise dress! I can’t wait for it to arrive. It will look great with the maxi dress from Holy Clothing. I also ordered a book that is a gift for a friend of mine, or rather, her friend. I ordered a gorgeous goddess Danu statue. I can’t wait for that to arrive either. Tomorrow I plan to get sewing on a pair of cushions for Derrick’s apartment. 

Summer is the time to have fun! It’s the time to be outside! So after you read this post, do have fun. Remember to thank your pollinators, walk the dog, feed the cat and love the sun! Fire up the barbecue grill, or go to the beach but have fun. Here in Nova Scotia, we only get 90 days of warm weather to savour summertime. We are lucky if it is not all rainy and cold. The rain will not affect my compost tumbler as it is 99% sealed tight against the rain. One more great reason to be outdoors!

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

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March 8, 2024 · 11:19 am

Magickal Portals )O(

Merry meet all,

The overdress from Holy Clothing arrived! I love it. It is so beautiful and feminine. I feel so beautiful when I wear it. I can wear it with about twenty different dresses in my wardrobe, which is also what made it worth buying. The herb cutter from The Witches moon arrived. The herb cutter is so beautiful! 

I woke up to a skiff of snow on the ground this morning. Well I looked out my window and decided, winter is not over yet. Snow covers the ground and a harsh wind rocks the trees. I still see the portal visible only to me. Or is it? To be able to see the portal and imagine you are escaping to Middle Earth, soften your gaze and peer between the two trees. It so does appear like a portal to me, carrying you far away from all your worries. If I had a choice, I would move to Middle Earth and never return. 

The future for all humankind is dark and scary. The earth’s resources are being manipulated and seized and wasted at an unprecedented scale. We ask too much of the earth and forget that we have to give back. Machinery, the army and the government are the enemy. The technology we are producing and depending on are causing the earth’s destruction. Many cellphones end up in landfill. The oceans are stuffed with garbage. The air is polluted. We cannot eat money but we all live like we can. We have a scary future ahead of us if we continue at this rate. We expect the earth to produce forever but it doesn’t work that way. 

That is why if I was given the choice, I would flee to Middle Earth. And to quote Gandalf, “I won’t be going alone.” I would take my loved ones including my cat with me. I always felt like I never fit in here anyway. I would not look back. We are all doomed and we have a bleak future. Why should we leave Earth, move to another planet and colonize there if we can’t learn our mistakes here? No, we have to learn first then ask ourselves if we could really do that to another planet. 

There are people all over the world claiming to be experiencing visits from aliens. They are unafraid of the aliens- except me, I am scared to death of them. They claim that the aliens are teaching them that we may be better off leaving earth and going with the aliens. Who am I to deny them? I can see the rationale behind it. The aliens are wise and know what await us. 

It will break my heart to be forced to see war break out and the earth torn apart. To see people overcome with rage, furious that the earth can keep up no more with their need for selfish gratitude, tearing other people apart- their kin and know love no more. But that may be our future. The Goddess has raised her horns and awoken-and she is pissed. The sinkholes, climate change, the natural disasters: droughts, wildfires, flooding and hurricanes are signs of her fighting back. I hope she never tires. I hope she teaches us a powerful lesson. I hope she stays and stands proud, driven by a beautiful fury. We have been bad children. 

Now don’t get me wrong. I know that there are other earth stewards out there like me who are likeminded. If you are reading this and you are one of them, power to you! I see you as a kindred spirit. Yes we who do care about Earth and all her beauty and power are hopefully exempt from the doom just lurking over the horizon. But unfortunately, those who are in power blinded by greed and money and drive the cruel wheel of machinery will propel all of us to an unpleasant future. 

I believe in leaving offerings and having a harmonious relationship with the nature spirits here. I would probably get laughed at. I don’t care. I know what I feel and I live in harmony with the earth. I work with not against. Many people take so much for granted. I dare say they will eventually wake up when it is too late. 

I follow a surprisingly simple routine for showing my concern for the earth. I save eggshells, I recycle and compost, and I eat a lot of organic food. I opt for organic food as often as I can. I know organic food is more expensive but they make it that way to try and discourage you from buying it. I resist and buy it anyway. I practice organic gardening methods and I never use toxic chemicals such as insecticides, pesticides and other such poison on my garden. I have the most beautiful garden Ever. I use organic seeds and organic soil. I reuse cloth bags and I drag my personal cart to the store and back, up and down that steep hill. I take the bus and take many strolls on the nature trail. 

I practice bioregional herbalism and follow a sustainable practice with my herbalism. 

These are all things we could all be doing. I love seeing other people take their own cloth bags to the grocery store. It cheers my heart so much. That is in itself an act of rebellion. Ok now just keep that up and start small then expand your earth stewardship practice. 

Happy International Women’s Day – which is every damn day!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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October 21, 2022 · 1:03 pm

Root work )O(

Merry meet all,

I was just out harvesting MORE dandelion roots. They are drying now on the kitchen cupboard. I’m buying another bottle of vodka soon and tincture the roots. Or maybe I will use brandy, no, I should stick with vodka. The alcohol acts as a natural preservative.

Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale, is so good for your health that I really question why anyone wants to spray or kill it. Dandelion root is bitter and its actions are diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and it has hypeglyemic properties. “Dandelion root is a powerful diuretic, stimulating kidney function as well as the movement of bile from the gallbladder and liver. Folklore and scientific evidence supports the use of dandelion as a diuretic with intriguing possibilities that it may help with controlling blood sugar and inflammatory processes (Castleman, 2001). Due to its diuretic properties, dandelion may help PMS (Castleman, 2001, Hoffman, 2003) and, most recently, andropause symptoms (Noh, H-Y, 2013).” *Copied and taken from the Herbal Academy website. 

Digging up a dandelion root isn’t easy. Dandelion root, like yellow dock and burdock roots, have a single long stemmed taproot. I have gotten the hang of digging up the roots. If you don’t dig it up right, the root cracks. I ease my trowel into the soil slowly, and I take all the leaves and stems in one hand, then push the trowel in and around the root. Then I tug gently and the root leaves the soil. It is an art. Now you all know why I want to dig up dandelion roots. They are full of vitamins as well as the listed above benefits. 

I bring the roots home, avoiding the curious eyes of passerby, and fill a bowl with clean water. I dunk the roots in the water in the bowl outside, then empty the bowl outside. I bring the roots in and I scrub them clean with an old toothbrush. Soon I will chop up the roots and dry them on low heat in the oven. They can’t be left on the counter for long or they will mold and be tossed to the compost pile. All of those nutrients would be lost.  I have to store them and get the vodka then I plan to make the tincture. It will be amazing! You can dry the chopped roots in the oven on parchment paper at 350 F for thirty minutes. 

I already have a tincture of burdock root and dandelion roots tincturing. I plan to leave it for 3 months! But you usually wait 4 to 6 weeks or a full moon phase, if you want to get witchy about it! You can store the roots in the alcohol for a long time. Some people make dandelion tea or wine. I would love to try dandelion wine!

I’m harvesting the elecampane root tomorrow. It better not rain tomorrow or I may do it today after all. Today’s weather is overcast and clear. I have never done this before. I don’t want to kill the plant. I know how to harvest the root, I am just not experienced enough at it. I guess this is all part of learning to be a herbalist. I watched Youtube videos to see how it’s done. It will be fine. I will dry, chop and store the roots over the winter in a labeled dated jar. I love to get artsy with the labels too. 

Digging up a plant for its roots is killing the plant. In terms of elecampane, I hope to leave the roots or new buds for replanting. I have found an amazing article all about harvesting elecampane roots. I’m going to soak the roots once dug up to see the new buds. That will tell me I can successfully replant the elecampane. I have no intention of killing the roots. I just wish I had a pitchfork but my big garden shovel will work. I’ll use my boline to gather the roots I want to harvest. The rest goes back in the soil with a sprinkle of fertilizer. 

I still have to wash the pots, harvest the beans once they turn brown and hard, and make my offering. I am almost done my garden chores. I am sad and happy at the same time. I love the harvest but the harvest signifies the finale for my garden for the year. The rich gifts the earth blesses me with makes it all worth it. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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September 11, 2021 · 12:48 pm

Raccoons in the yard again

Merry meet all,

The raccoons- those daring masked thieves invaded my garden. I thought they wanted the apples but they were on another prize. I had a compost bucket, a bird feeder, and – potatoes! Yes I grew potatoes this summer. I cleaned up the apples to toss in the compost bin and found small brown things on the ground. The raccoons were more interested in the taters that grew in pots on the back step. I have since tossed the contents of the compost bucket into the green bin ( a feat in itself), emptied the bird feeder and relegated the plant pots to my Mom’s place. The pots are up high on her deck. Let em try. They can sniff all they want. The prized food is gone. 

Potatoes grew in my compost bucket! I. harvested 3 pounds of potatoes- so far! I was growing the spuds in a big wooden box. I shoveled all the soil out and searched for potatoes. Nothing. There were a few tiny potatoes, that was all. The healthiest strongest best ever stalks grew in the box but no taters. I was so disheartened. That was weird. The taters in the compost bucket grew much better.  There were more nutrients in the compost perhaps which may explain why they grew like taters should. I’m planting garlic in the woodn box. I will wait a few weeks till it’s cold to grow them though until the raccoons to move on. 

Penny hissed at them from her high point on her scratching post. They hissed at each other. But now that there is no food – or, should I say, no five finger discount, they will likely move on. I will harvest the tomatoes and remaining pickling cucumbers in a few weeks. Then the frost hits. Pickling brine can be bought at your local grocery but I made my own mixture. It makes me feel more like a real kitchen witch that way. 

Here is a recipe for to make your own brine. It is affordable and simple to do. The taste of the pickled cucumbers is amazing. You may never go back to eating the store bought kind. 

Master Pickle Brine Recipe
You only need four ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time to turn yourself into a master pickler. Vinegar combines with sugar and salt to create this basic pickling brine that can be used for any of your seasonal fruits and vegetables. With pickling, you can transform fresh summer produce, such as small cherry tomatoes, cucumber and zucchini spears, okra, and red onions, into lip-smacking sides. Or use them as garnishes to top pulled pork sliders or hotdogs. Prepare your canning containers by sterilizing the jars and lids. Since you will be storing these pickles in the refrigerator, you won’t need to bother with a water bath. Wash and cut (if needed) your produce, then pack into your pickling jar. In a medium saucepan, stir together water and the four ingredients, boiling and stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool, then pour over the produce into the pickling jar. Seal tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Pickling and freezing are popular methods of preserving seasonal produce so that you can enjoy the tastes of summer all year long. Some vegetables, including corn on the cob and sugar snap peas, can be blanched and frozen whole. Tomatoes can be stewed, then frozen or canned, to be used later in meat sauces, soups and stews, or even Bloody Mary drinks. If you want to freeze blueberries, don’t wash them. Instead, lay them out on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer; once berries are frozen, you can then store them in freezer-safe baggies.
Active:
10 mins
Cook:
48 hrs
Total:
20 mins
Yield:
4 cups (1 [32-oz.] mason jar)
Master Pickle Brine Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup water

Directions

 

Stir together 1 cup water and all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Pour over vegetables or fruits. Cover with a tight-fitting lid; chill 2 days. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 2 months.

That’s all for today. I shall post more soon. Stay safe and be well
Blessings, Spiderwitch

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September 11, 2013 · 9:54 pm

Garden in Repose

tomaotoes

Merry meet all,

I see the signs of my garden transitioning to fall. The flower seed heads are turning brown and losing their petals. The seed heads are beautiful. Well my mugwort which I cut back, is still growing. Leaves are yellowing and some plants are dying back. The peas are past their time. Good thing I started a second pot. I have a while to go yet before I harvest my shallots, peas, carrots, tomatoes and radishes. Some of the veggies are cool season veggies. I am not worried.

Once the harvest is over, I plan to delight earthworms by spilling the organic nutrient rich soil onto the garden. I am growing the peas, shallots, carrots and radishes in pots. The soil will go to the garden. The soil will be recycled and enrich the garden soil. This will help the soil. I choose to do this because it is one way to create good composted soil. The soil will have lots of nutrients because I grew veggies in that soil.

I always let the leaves blanket the soil all winter. This is always a great way to take care of the plants in the garden and add nutrients to the soil. It is even better if the leaves are torn up and mulched. The plants nestle beneath the layer of leaves to be blanketed by the snow and ice. Come spring, I rake away the leaves and toss them into the green compost bin. Then I add fresh soil and await the cheerful arrival of the early plants of spring.

This method has never hurt my garden. I will never understand why people rake up leaves to toss into a landfill site. They are losing out on a great way to help the soil in their gardens, if they have a garden. Leaf mold is the best enriching kind of compost out there. It’s free, too. So do this!

I also always green my pumpkin. I leave my used up carved pumpkin in my garden to decompose and add more nutrients to the garden. A pumpkin takes a long time to decompose so put it somewhere maybe slightly away from the garden.

If you are growing comfrey, consider making comfrey tea. Comfrey tea is a liquid compost for your garden made from water and comfrey leaves. At the end of the season, cut up the comfrey leaves and add them to a jug or pitcher outside. Let it steep a long time then pour the rich earthy compost tea on your garden. Your garden will thank you. Trust me.

 

Other tips I can share are to fill a large jug with clear clean water, and add a dime, a bit of camphor and let it sit. Then after a while, remove the dime and on a Full Moon night, empty the jug onto the garden. Or every time that you boil veggies in water, save the water and add that to your garden.

Try these tips for your own gardens this autumn season. Your garden will be prepared for spring with these helpful ideas.

 

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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