My witch hazel in bloom!
Merry meet all,
Don’t you love the month of October? I feel so much magic in the air. I have a pumpkin, a pot of bright yellow chrysanthemums outside, a jar of pumpkin spice, and witchy magazines to read this fall! Bring it on! I am ready. I hope you are too.
It’s my goal to save as many seeds as I can from my garden this year. So far, I have saved Shasta daisy, elecampane, echinacea, tickseed, dill seeds, lavender, lemon balm, yarrow, marigold seeds and witch hazel! Yes I did save witch hazel seeds. The flowers of my witch hazel are shown in the photo above. The witch hazel seeds are glossy, slippery, and deep black. I have 5 seeds and in the spring, I plan to scatter them outside in the ground on the nature trail. Some seeds need the cold of winter to germinate.
My witch hazel tree is flush with flowers. The whole tree or shrub I should say, is gorgeous. I have stored the seeds in jars and labeled paper envelopes. I have been feeling especially crafty in the last few weeks. I am REALLY bitten by the herbal bug. I’m brewing jars of burdock root + dandelion root tinctures, hawthorn cordials, gingered honey, and for the first time I made mullein herbal torches.
Making mullein torches is easy. They were known as hag torches. Mullein grows wild where I live. To make the torches, cut and dry mullein stalks. Measure how long you want the torches to be. I have a small pot I have dedicated for melting beeswax in. So the torches are small. You can make your torches be whatever size you want. Melt a lot, like a LOT, of beeswax in your double boiler. You can add essential oils to give your torches a nice fragrance. I chose essential oils that correspond with autumn: cinnamon, clove, rosemary, etc. Dip the torch stalk into the beeswax to ensure they are fully and deeply coated. Sprinkle on herbs that correspond with autumn! Choose marigold petals, chrysanthemum, mugwort and sage. Press the herbs lightly down to make sure they stick. Let them dry on a wire rack. They make great offerings to Hekate! I suggest you burn them outdoors to avoid a fire in your home.
October is not complete without pumpkins! I have half a pumpkin in my freezer, a squash to puree, pureed pumpkin in my fridge. I baked a lovely pumpkin bread which I enjoy with cinnamon butter. Yummy! I tried to make elderberry mead. It turned into a syrup. I will try again next year!
I have a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Herbal Latte. Mmm I am making it tomorrow and I can’t wait. I still have to harvest the elecampane root and wash the grow bag. Then I have to store the garden knick knacks, clean and sterilize my garden tools, and store everything away for winter. The garden lawn chair cushions will be stored in my Mom’s basement.
I began nettle from seed in a large pot under my grow lights. I transplanted a few nettle seedlings into the garden. I believe they rooted which means I will get nettle next summer. I am very relieved the nettle is outside because it really does sting! I grew tired of being constantly stung by the nettle. Stinging nettle has its name for a reason. My mint is growing nicely in the pot along with what I believe may be mugwort and rue. They will overwinter indoors. I am not sure if rue would survive the winter. I am planting garlic this fall!
I stocked up on extra jars to hold all my herbs. I had a great harvest this year. In fact, my herb harvest was so successful it has led to me making a big decision about my garden. I am now not growing as many vegetables as I used to. I do better growing herbs. So herbs it is, it is a lot less effort, they are not as bothered by pests, and I don’t waste as many seeds. The soil is not that deep as I would like. The soil is very good quality but not that deep. Herb roots don’t need a lot of depth.
Having a herb garden and such an abundance of herbs on the nature trail helps me financially. It would cost me a fortune to pay for all the herbs I require for the Herbal Academy. I could never afford it all. It is easier on my wallet for sure. I love living here and I consider myself truly fortunate.
Blessed Be, Spiderwitch
Links of Interest:
Homemade Wildflower Seed Bombs To Beautify Forgotten Landscapes
