Domestic Garden Witch: Flowers in the Dark
So maybe you’re a college witch with limited space and money, limited to the one window in your dorm. Or, maybe you’re a witch without extensive backyard space who wants to start up a magical garden. Perhaps you’re a kitchen witch who wants the freshest herbs right at her fingertips.
For many witches, having a garden seems to be a bit of a no-brainer. After all, plants and magic go hand-in-hand. Plus, when thinking of a witch, it’s hard not to think of a cottage in the woods with a little vegetable garden out front. Unfortunately for the majority of us, our cottage in the woods is a tiny flat, and our garden out front is a windowsill with limited space.
This is when it comes time to embrace your craftiness and bring your garden indoors! Not only does it place your garden in a convenient location, it also allows you to freshen the air, recycle what would otherwise harm the earth, and embrace your witchy green thumb!
One of the things that plagues students and non-students alike in this fast-moving modern world is the fact that it’s not always easy to get into the garden during the daytime. We often miss out on vibrant blooms, sweet smells, and the presence of birds and butterflies on all but our days off. And if you’re like me, you have a tendency to be a bit nocturnal as it is. But there are gardens that can be enjoyed in the evening and at night, and they tend to be rather gorgeous!
Moonlight gardens are ideal for the nighttime witch who wants to make use of the moon in her practice. Pale flowers seem to glow in the light cast by the moon and stars, while somewhat reflective leaves do the same. Certain plants only bloom at night and in the evening, or will intensify their scent at night in order to attract moths and night birds.
The usefulness of such a garden is more than just providing a pleasant aesthetic in the night. Moonlight gardens are particularly helpful for faerie tradition and those devoted to lunar deities. They also serve as a reminder that even in the dark, life thrives.
Select plants that bloom in the late evening or at night, or which otherwise have pale flowers that stay open late. Amaryllis, summer snapdragon, flowering tobacco, and angel’s trumpet all provide late blooming flowers and nighttime scents, that help add a bit of magic to a midnight stroll or a garden meal.
Consider ways in which your garden can glow at night, peppering these nighttime flora throughout the otherwise daytime garden. And take into account the purpose and intent behind your garden. Select flowers and scents that are ideal for nighttime fae, or if you are cultivating a dragon garden, go for bold blooms and foliage that show the strength of nighttime beauty.
Aside from the aesthetic and intention of a moonlight garden, it does have a more spiritual purpose. Nighttime gardens are a way to help us connect to the “dark side” of ourselves. We may be vibrant and beautiful in the side we most often show, but our darker and quieter selves are beautiful in their own rights. A garden like this helps us to display that part of ourselves while also interacting with the natural vibrancy that comes even when the sun is out of sight.
May all your harvests be bountiful! )O(
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