We burned our tree 9 days prior which released nitrogen into the garden. Nitrogen in the soil helps vegetables to grow big and strong naturally. Now it is time for us to turn the soil. We do this to blend the dirt from the ground with the ashes creating oxygen in the ground which helps for when your plants roots are seeking a home. We do this by whacking forked hoe into the ground and pulling it lifting the roots that were stuck. This also mixes the ash from the tree with the dirt. As we whack the soil we say: As we turn
the tree we burn Let the Garden yield what we yearn
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Every Garden requires tools to help make your gardening life easier. I try to get a few main tools like a trowel, weeding fork, a pruner, and of course gloves. The trowel helps to dig the holes for transplanting your plants. The weeding fork helps to loosen the soil so your can just pull it out. The pruner cutters creates a clean cut so that you are able to harvest your crops without damaging the plant. Gloves are not just keep your hands clean, but to also keep your hands safe from insect bites and prickly weeds. Are first up is to gather all over schools that we would like to use over the coming gardening: Tools of the craft work with me
Sun and moon with the Fae by my side We work this yard this I will its so mode it be As we continue our gardening countdown to Imbolc we come to the time where we to pull any weeds. When we burned our Yule tree it loosened the dirt around the weeds which makes it easier to pull. Ridding your garden of weed is a necessity for many reasons. Weeds in a garden steal the nutrients from the soil this hinders the growth of your plants. This causes your plant to produce less vegetables and or flowers. You need to also consider that these weeds also have lives as well which is why when we remove the weeds we say a blessing:
Gentle soul that has gone stray This place is not for you to stay May your roots find homes else where Before we start officially planting the garden or even really working with it it's a good idea have a garden blessing over it the location. When placing a blessing on anything you are asking the elements, and Deities to watch over and help us. We use 5 branches again from our Yule celebration. Place them at each corner of the garden then one in the center. I then attach a symbol of each element to represent it. I then say a blessing as I place each one. Feathers for air so that the birds will leave it be. A water gauge for the water element may this garden never thirst The stick will represent Earth let their roots be strong and healthy A sundial to represent the Fire element may each seedling seek the suns rays In the center I place a stick with a heart may the crops helps us to be strong. We do this to connect all the elements and the elemental spirits to our garden. This will not only provide strong yield when we harvest it will also provide a strong connection to the deities.
Right after Yule we order the seeds that we want to plant in our vegetable garden. I ordered my seeds from www.seedsnow.com. Ordering after Yule allows them plenty of time to arrive before Imbolc. Now comes the time to the bless the seeds for our Imbolc planting. Before we plant the seed we need to first bless the seeds: Earth, Air, Fire, Water bring life into these seeds Soil, kind winds, sun above, rain drops nourish each one May your roots take hold your leaves unfold stronger and stronger growing till the time to harvest We first started the seeds in the house so that they can create strong roots before we plant them outside in the garden that we are planning. Then by Ostara the seedlings are strong enough to be transplanted to the outside garden that we prepared during Imbolc.
As we continue planning our garden for Imbolc and you have created a full plan of what you would like to plant. It is now time to create labels for the plants in your garden. There is nothing worse than when your plants are first starting to grow then as a novice you are unsure of which plant is which until obviously starts producing vegetables. For our garden we are going to be making stick plant labels. We are going to be using the branches that we used to decorate the bottom of our Yule tree. This connects the grounding magic that we had done with them during Yule to our Imbolc magic. We use a shaver to shave off the outside bark while saying: We shed off all that's hold us back Lend us your light so we can find our way Labeling so that we may know what we are to grow We then use a black permanent marker to write the name of the plant.
As we prepare for the upcoming planting season we need to plan what type of garden we would like to have. Will it be a vegetable garden, will it be a herb garden, will it be a flower garden. The garden plot we prepare from Imbolc to Ostara in our home is a vegetable garden. When planning your garden you need to create a check list: Does it meet the sun requirements for the plants that you would like to grow there? What type of soil do you have: sandy, clay, loamy, peaty, saline? How much space do you have exactly? When starting your garden for the first time remember that it is better to have a smaller garden that is functional then one that is not. You don't want to grow so much food that it will go to waste. Our garden is going to be 7 X 20 in a rectangular shape. Once that is decided I researched to find out the exact spacing size for each plant. ![]()
Marigolds are going to border the garden and daisies in between each row. These will deter disease and pests while providing food for the bees. You also need to make sure that your plants "get along." I have a companion chart that I use to help me.
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Our GardenJoin us on our gardening journey. We are trying to grow our own food. Archives
November 2023
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