The Basics of Magical Gardening by Krystal
May 2007

The first aspect of magical gardening is deciding the focus or theme: will it be protective, love-focused, planetary, healing, or something else? The theme tells you what kind of plants you will want to have in your garden. (Note: There is a difference in correspondence between medicinal healing and magical healing—herbs used in healing spells are not eaten.)

Once you have decided what plants you want to use, it is time to plan the layout of the garden. (It’s perfectly reasonable to choose what plants you will grow based on where your space is located—in fact, if you have a particularly shady spot, you must choose carefully what you will grow there, as most herbs like a lot of sun.) There is no formal plan for a suitable “witchy” garden, though circles are popular. You could shape it in the form of a crescent moon, a star, or a simple square or rectangle. You can mark the boundaries with stones or a short fence.

If you do not have space for a garden, consider planting your magical herbs in pots to grow on the windowsill, Your ritual could be as simple as blessing the earth-filled pots before inserting the plant or seed. Take the plants outside as often as you can so they can have direct, natural sunlight.

The primary characteristic of a magical garden is the ritual. Even if you decide to have a culinary garden or one dedicated to medicinal healing, if you perform a ritual to charge a part of the earth with intent, you move beyond simple sowing and harvesting. It is also important to leave an offering for each thing you harvest from the garden—a tiny crystal, a few drops of milk, a copper coin—something in return for what you take. (It is probably best not to use a lot of things you be plowing up next season.)

Make sure your garden has a special sacred area set aside. Maybe that will be a flat rock, a bowl, or statue in the center of the garden for offerings; perhaps you will have room for a small altar. It could even be an area of the garden set aside where you let whatever grow there that will. Use your imagination!

Finally, be sure not to harvest all the plants at one time. Never take more than 1/3 of a plant’s growth, and leave some plants and seeds for the wildlife as well. Avoid chemicals. Marigold, pennyroyal, chamomile, and garlic are some natural bug repellants. If a plant is blighted or has aphids, spray with a strong infusion of chamomile or soapy water, making sure no soapy water gets into the soil. Leave pathways so you can reach all the plants without stepping on others. Harvest leaves and flowers during the waxing moon and roots during the waning moon.

Hopefully, this information will help you start your magical garden. Happy planting!

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