Fresh Winter Ingredients

Some pickings from the garden for tonight's meal! Coloured chard, parsley, thyme and kale all looking vibrant after the rainy weekend.

Tropaeolum - 'Nasturtium'

Herb garden is going 'vege patch' this winter! So I couldn't resist grabbing some nasturtiums to fill in the back part of the garden with its beautiful leaves and flowers. I'm currently in the process of sculpting my herb garden into a Victorian era kitchen-garden, a mixture of vegetables and flowers.

Echinacea

My echinacea bloomed! I planted this as a seedling late last summer and it didn't reach its first bloom before withering away into autumn. But this summer it came back, full and vibrant.

Clary Sage - salvia sclarea

My clary sage has bloomed and brought me such a joy just to see it! I've never grown clary safe before, but it is definitely something I will be encouraging in my garden from now on. It's quite hardy, and requires little attention other than some watering during the drier seasons.

A tower of bloom.

Yarrow - achillea millefolium

I was given a young yarrow plant by a friend and I was instantly in love. I had to keep it in it's pot for a few weeks because the snails were very interested in the new addition to the garden.

Yarrow goes by other names such as 'bloodwort' and 'the devil's mustard'. Ruled by Venus, yarrow is a powerful herb which brings beauty and joy to me herb garden. It loves full sun, but does well in part shade too. Mine appears to be loving its little spot just between my sage and verbena.

Yarrow is ruled by Venus.

 

Yarrow can be used to make a poultice for wounds. It is a powerful healing plant and both the leaves and the roots can be used in magical working. Yarrow is effective in love spells and divination. Also, if yarrow is sprinkled around it creates a barrier for negative spirits.  

Such a beautiful sight.

Hiding in the depths of the garden.

Parsley - petroselinum crispum

My parsley has grown into a giant this spring! I planted it about a year and a half ago, and it has taken over its own section of my herb garden. It is an Italian 'garden' parsley which is my favourite of the parsley varieties. It's biennial, and likes to bolt in spring and summer, causing it to seed. If you want more time with the leaves then be sure to pick the flower heads off once you spot them. If left to bolt and seed it will produce less leaves, investing its energy into flowering.

A close-up on some of my parsley on top of my fireplace 

The flower heads which seed easily

For its magical properties parsley seeds, leaves and root can be used. It used to have 'death' connotations and was sometimes referred to as 'Devil's oatmeal', but today is mostly associated with healing, lust, fertility and protection. 

A welcome sight in any witch's herb garden

Glyph for Mercury 

Parsley is ruled by the planets Mercury and Mars, and can be used to boost ones strength, and to heighten vitality. It had energies which are helpful for people recovering from injury or surgery. It also gives fresh energy and life to situations which have stagnated or plateaued.  

La Madonna di Monte Berico

This Madonna is from my mothers province in Italy. Vicenza, Veneto. This statue belongs to my cousin Esther, it came over with the family when they immigrated to Australia. I love prayer cards and statues of the virgin Mary, I've grown up surrounded by her.

My cousin Esther owns this family statue. It is older than her, and came over from Italy with her mother.