Gardens are mini universes all unto themsELFKIN CLAN. Growing living things is one of the most rewarding and grounding experiences. Gardens provide serenity, seclusion, medicines, cosmetics, and natural habitats for all kinds of creatures, as well as add beauty to your home environment. Gardening is planting dreams that soon come to reality (well, most of the time). Gardening is bearing witness to the very seasons and cycles of all life. You do not need a huge space or tons of supplies to have a magickal garden; a small patio or even a lone window can have a wonderful and magickal container garden. All it takes is a little imagination!

SANCTIFYING SACRED SPACE
Consecrate the space by the elements. Sprinkle the area lightly with salt water (earth & water) and smudge (fire & air) to purify by the elements. Take time to bond spiritually with your space; bless it by your chosen Deities.

BALANCING THE ELEMENTS
In gardens, there is always an abundance of earth... rocks and lots of soil! Add water, fire, air and spiritual items to represent all of the five elements. Even the botanicals you choose may correspond to the elements. Some ideas:


PROTECTING THE PROPERTY
There are many ways in which you can magickally protect your sacred garden space:
- Visualize the space encased in a bubble of light
- Visualize the space encased in a ring of fire
- Post spirit guardians at the four corners
- Put protective symbols on rocks, pots, fences, etc.

ONLY ORGANIC
Using truly organic fertilizers and pest control is an absolute MUST! You do NOT want synthetic chemicals in a magickal garden, in the critters that visit, or in YOU. Some things to experiment with:

Fertilizers: Nitrogen is the key nutrient plants use for growing leaves... If you add an inch or so of compost to your garden each year, you probably won't need any additional fertilizers. Bury banana peels near the base of roses to really make them bloom.

Pest Control: First and foremost, encourage natural predators of pests (ladybugs, praying mantis, birds, frogs and lizards) to hunt in your garden. Do NOT use chemicals, provide a water source, and they will control pests by the natural food chain.
- Beneficial insects can be purchased at most garden centers and nurseries; turn them loose!
- Row covers, netting, and plant collars protect crop plants from pests
- Sticky traps and pheromone lures minimize pests without harming other living things
- Some plants discourage certain pests; talk to your local nursery about what grows in your area

ENTICING WILDLIFE
Feeders and water sources (bird baths, fountains, ponds - even just bowls of water) can attract quite an array of wildlife in no time. Do not keep feeders filled at all times; you want to attract them and supplement their income, not make them dependent. Housing can provide shelter from the elements and a place to raise young. Nothing is as cute as nature's newborns, but especially in your own space. A nesting mother is truly a gift.

INVITING ELEMENTALS
You can formally invite the fae and other spiritual beings into your space, but inviting them to tend to the plants, or giving them a specific purpose can be a good idea so they don't make mischief of their own accord. ;-)

MAKING MAGICK
Some fun ideas for furthering magick-making in the garden:
- A "witching" well or wishing well (enchant the fountain with prosperity, and leave a bowl of coins nearby for wishes, donate the money to charity when cleaning the fountain)
- A mediation space (a bench or seat makes a great spot for thought, something with a nice focal point)
- Bird baths make amazing mirror "scrying" pools

THEME GARDENS
Theme gardens can be very magickal, a lot of fun, and are only limited by your imagination. Some ideas:
- Gothic: black, white, burgundy and red flowers, gargoyles, gothic architectural elements
- Deity: plants, statuary, and items that correspond to a specific deity or pair of deities
- Pantheon: plants, statuary, and items that correspond to a specific pantheon (Celtic, Egyptian, etc.)
- Butterfly/Bee: plants that specifically attract butterflies and bees, and items that have these beneficial insects on them
- Faerie: plants that specifically attract the fae, faerie art, faerie village(s)
- Oriental: asian plants, koi ponds, asian statuary, zen space (rocks, sand & rake) and architectural elements
- Victorian: old fashioned flowers, gazing balls, arbors, benches, old tea items turned flower pots

ENCHANTED EVENINGS
Night blooming and white flowers dispersed throughout a garden make it come to life again after the sun goes down. Add candles or other ambient lighting, a water feature bubbling off somewhere in the shadows, and you have a midsummer night's dream.

The Enchanted Garden
At PrimalX



"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson



As a small child my grandmother gardened, just a small vegetable and herb garden behind her cottage. But I spent much time helping, asking her what different plants were, and learning about nature from her wisdom.

When I was a little older... I took to digging up plants from our various family travels home to our yard and transplanting them there. Along with dragging home rocks, pine cones, drift wood and any other of nature's souvenirs I could find (even a pair of small tree frogs)! My parents never discouraged me, and by the time I was in the fifth grade, I had a good deal of our modest yard converted to gardens and knew most of the species in North Eastern Oregon where I grew up.

By the time I was a teen... gardening had been almost lost to adolescence. But it never truly went away, like in winter, that part of me slept quietly, waiting for its season to come again. In my twenties there was gardening again, with Di. We had quite the little oasis at The Hollywood Houses.

Finally Larry & I purchased our home in 1999, with 1.24 acres to work with. A gardening dream come true...

Currently we only have about .24 developed (which entails the front yard only), but only time and money stand between us and the rest!

The garden has been DRASTICALLY different as it has progressed each year and we have migrated from mere borders and beds to the entire front yard being a garden itself.



"Everyone should know the pleasure of growing something from seed."
~ Jessica Black



T I D B I T S

- Plant Morning Glory and Moonflower Vines together for a magickal day and night show




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