Cottage Witchery (15 page)

Marigolds are simple and charming little flowers. They lighten the heart and bring a little sunshine into your day. Pick up a six pack or two of annual marigolds this year and tuck them into a container. Think of all the wonderful magick they could add to your outdoor room. If you wish to enchant them for protection and to encourage happiness and joy, repeat this charm over the flowers.

Marigolds are flowers of the sun,

Bringing joy, sunshine, and a little fun.

Lady, hear my call, bless these blossoms so dear,

As they help me to banish both dread and fear.

Last but not least, here is a charm for those geraniums that I've been harping on for a while. I didn't want to leave you hanging by not including an all-purpose geranium charm to go with all the little tidbits of magickal information I've been slipping in throughout these chapters.

Geraniums will perform well for you in a semi-sunny spot. When the flower heads fade, follow the flower stem down to the leaves and pinch the entire bloom and stem off. This will encourage your geraniums to keep producing more flowers. Geraniums hang on through the hot summer months; as long as you keep them watered, they will actually bloom heavily again in the fall. (They love those cool nights.) Never underestimate this flower. It really packs a magickal punch. So without further ado . . .

The humble geranium is a Venus flower,

It brings safety and a blast of magickal power.

Red flowers for protection, white for fertility,

Pink geraniums for love, coral for energy.

Goddess, hear my call as I work this floral spell,

Gently guide my hand and heart and all will be well.

Flowers and foliage add a touch of nature's wonder into your outdoor rooms. No matter where you live, in the city or the suburbs, container magick is practical and simple. Try working with the energies of plants in your home; you'll be amazed at what they have to teach you. If you happen to have a thing for indoor houseplants, you should really enjoy our next section.

A plant does not need to be rare in order to be magical.

Doreen Valiente

Houseplant 101

Houseplants add their own special brand of natural magick to your home. Besides the fact that they are fabulous representations for the element of earth, they also add a healthy vibration to your home's atmosphere. For those of you who live in an apartment or do not have a space in which to grow a garden, creating a tiny green oasis indoors is the next best thing.

Most potted plants that are purchased commercially have been grown in a greenhouse setting, under prime conditions. Bringing a new plant home, into an environment designed for people, can be tough on your green friends sometimes. A good rule of thumb to follow is to read the care tags that are included with the plant. Just as with garden outdoor plants, how much light you have and how much natural light the plant requires may be two entirely different things. So plan ahead and buy the appropriate plant for the spot. And, since I am a gardener, let's go over some basic tips for houseplant care. (You can take the Witch out of the garden but never the garden out of the Witch!)

watering

Houseplants are most often killed or stressed by improper watering than by any other method. There is no perfect schedule for watering your plants. After all, the humidity, light, and temperature of your home fluctuates on a daily basis and changes during the different seasons. So how can you tell when is a good time to water? Stick your finger in the dirt! Push your index finger in to the second knuckle and see if the potting soil is dry or moist. If it's dry, then water it. Also, the surface of the soil changes color when it becomes dry. If you notice the soil cracking and pulling away from the edges of your pot, you've got a big problem. Those poor roots are dying of thirst—do give them a drink ASAP!

Tap water is fine for watering houseplants. The chlorine and fluorine that are typically added to city water won't harm the plants. It is not recommended to use water that has been run through a water softener, however, since the salt can build up in the soil of the plants. If you're really a purist, try using melted snow or collected rainwater. Plants may be watered from either the top or from the bottom. Use a watering can with a small spout, and try to keep the water off of the foliage as you water your houseplants. Wet the entire soil mass, slowly pouring the water in, until you begin to notice it seeping through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Once that drainage stops, about an hour later, dump any water that remains in the saucer.

Watering your houseplants from the bottom pretty much guarantees a thorough soaking of the soil mass. Place the pot in a pan or deep saucer filled with water about an inch from the top. When the top of the soil becomes moist, the whole business should be wet. Remove the pot and allow it to drain. Then return it to the saucer.

Garden Witch Tip
: Potted houseplants should always have a drainage hole. So look underneath the pot before you purchase it! If you leave houseplants in decorative pots without adequate drainage, your plants will start to develop “wet feet.” Plants with wet feet start to look sick pretty quickly. Their leaves turn yellow or drop off, the flowers collapse, and those healthy white roots turn brown. Also, that stagnant water smells nasty. So make sure your houseplants have adequate drainage and half the battle will already be won.

lighting

Improper lighting runs a close second as a frequent cause of failure with houseplants. Plants that are in proper lighting are better able to withstand fluctuations in temperature, high temperatures, and the low humidity that is common in many homes. And, as I mentioned before, know your light and check out the light requirement of your houseplant before you add them to your home. Here are some good tips for choosing a winning combination.

For flowering plants, you need moderately bright light. Plants that are kept in a poor light source will have spindly shoots, few flowers, and yellow foliage, not to mention the fact that poor flower color becomes an issue, as well as little or no new plant growth.

South-, east-, or west-facing windows are a good choice for most flowering potted plants, except for the African violet. (African violets prefer a northern window.) Moderately bright light does not mean a full blast of sunlight, however. Plants that are in bloom should be kept out of direct sunlight because the flowers will overheat and collapse more quickly. So pick your plant's sun exposure carefully.

Foliage plants are generally divided up into three categories: high light, moderate light, and low light. Try a north window so the plants can have daylight without direct sun. Or try sunlight that is filtered through a lightweight curtain for those moderate- to low-light plants. Plants that demand full sunlight (“high light”) should be put in a southern-facing window. Also, keep in mind that suddenly moving a plant from one type of light location to another stresses it. Move your plants gradually. Ease them over into a new light exposure a little at a time. This is especially true with large houseplants. If the plants don't get time to slowly adjust, you may end up with bleached-out foliage or burnt leaves. And, finally, it is recommended that you turn your houseplants once a week to keep them from getting one-sided.

Last but not least, let's talk about fertilizing your plants. Brand-new houseplants don't require fertilizer for a few weeks. Typically they get dosed at the nursery or florist or wherever you purchased them from. For the rest of your green friends, try fertilizing these once a month. If you did this on the full moon, you could enchant the fertilizer and give your plants a magickal boost while you're at it.

Here is another tip. Don't waste your money on those plant stake fertilizers. Use instead a water-soluble fertilizer that is specifically made for houseplants. They are easy to use and readily available. Follow the directions and do not apply more fertilizer than what is called for. If you go overboard with the fertilizer, you can burn out your plants. If your plant is wilted, water it first. After it pops back up, then you can use the fertilizer.

So now that I've drilled some basic houseplant care into your head, let's take a look at the magick of houseplants. The following list will give you magickal information, planetary associations, deity correspondences, and basic care tips. There is also any toxicity information that I could dig up on these magickal houseplants.

In non-emergencies, try doing a little research on the Internet. One of the best websites for poisonous plant information is the North Carolina State University site. They have an alphabetical list of plants using both the common name and the botanical name. I actually have this bookmarked on my computer at home. The website is:

www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm

Another good website for information about plants that may be poisonous to pets and livestock is this one from Purdue University:

http://vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/cover1.htm

If situations occur where poisoning concerns exist, then I recommend contacting a poison control hotline center right away. The free National Poison Control Hotline (for adults and children) is 1-800-222-1222. This number will automatically connect you to your local hotlines.

For pets, call your vet right away or try the National Animal Poison Control Center. This is the ASPCA and they do charge a fee. Their number is 1-888-426-4435.

Men are like plants—they never grow happily
unless they are well cultivated.

Charles-Louis de Secondat
Montesquieu

Magickal Houseplants

african violet:
This popular blooming plant falls under the influence of the planet Venus. Its five petals make it a goddess flower and, as with
most other purplish-blue flowers, it is sacred to Aphrodite/Venus. The
violet is an excellent plant to add to faery charms and spells. The violet protects against faery mischief and promotes spirituality.
Care tip:
Always water your African violets from the bottom to help keep
water off the leaves. If you fertilize your African violets with African
violet fertilizer (this special type of fertilizer is typically high in phosphorus), they will bloom regularly. The African violet is nontoxic.

aloe:
The aloe vera or “burn plant” is a handy plant to have in the kitchen. The sap inside of the plant is great for soothing minor skin irritations
such as insect bites, sunburn, and minor burns. This plant is aligned
with the moon and is also used magickally for its protective properties. The aloe helps to ward the home from negativity and to help prevent accidents. This would be a great plant to work with in healing and protective spells. The aloe plant is described as having low toxicity if eaten and, according to the friendly folks at the Poison Control Hotline, has an “unwanted laxative effect.” Also, some folks with extremely sensitive skin may develop contact dermatitis from the aloe gel (sap) inside the plant. This is usually mild and does not last long.