By Catherine Winter
Halloween is swiftly approaching: a time when magic happens in the liminal spaces, and most people’s thoughts turn to all things witchy and wonderful. For those of us with green thumbs (literal or non!) this may include ideas about how to cultivate the ultimate witch’s garden.
Whether your interests are spooky or sacred, healing or horrifying, we’ve got you covered. Read on to delve into our plant guides for several different types of witchy gardening ideas.
A Healing Space
First and foremost, let’s touch upon a traditional, cottage-style witch’s garden. This is the type of space that an herbwyfe would have cultivated: full of herbs that can cool fevers, soothe burns, and gladden hearts.
Make multiple stories in this garden, with taller flowers in the back and plants of different heights dispersed around. Use planters and pots of varying sizes, and elevate some of them on tree stumps or stone pillars.
Plants to Consider:
Comfrey, yarrow, echinacea, St. John’s wort, roses, calendula, cleavers, motherwort, vervain, mullein, peppermint, chamomile, garlic, fennel, rosemary, Queen Anne’s lace, hyssop, rosemary, horehound, oregano, lavender.
Accessories:
Not exactly an accessory, but an intriguing thought: consider creating a pentacle, triskele or spiral garden, or in another shape that’s important to you. Incorporate runes or sigils, or printed signs.
Lanterns, sacred statues (of deities, nature spirits, etc.), cauldrons, birdbaths, bird feeders, and wind chimes are all great accoutrements for this space.
Halloweenies
Some people live and breathe all things Halloweeny, and with good cause!
If this is the type of garden you crave, fill it with orange and black plants, and accessories that put the “craft” in “witchcraft”.
Plants to Consider:
Orange and white pumpkins, physalis (ground cherries), orange cherry tomatoes, and whichever black vegetables and dark-hued herbs pique your interest!
The Rootwife’s Yard
Earthy and full of grounding energy, these plants are perfect for brewing up bewitching brews, whether for medicinal or delicious purposes.
Plants to Consider:
Dandelions, chicory, sarsaparilla, black and blue cohosh, burdock, goldenseal, valerian, wild yam, bloodroot, comfrey, Solomon’s seal.
*Note: Edible and medicinal mushrooms might work for this garden as well! We don’t have a resident mycologist aboard yet, so we’ll have to do some research before we can make recommendations.
Night-Blooming Garden
White flowers and vegetables look incredible when juxtaposed against purple blooms and dark greenery. Cultivate vegetables in these gorgeous shades to create a lush, abundant garden that looks downright ethereal at night.
Plants to Consider:
White and purple eggplants, black peppers, purple-podded pole beans, blue hostas, night-blooming jasmine, datura, nicotiana, white yarrow, moonflowers, violets/violas, pansies.
The Gothiest Garden
Black and purple blooms, blue pumpkins, and plants that are associated with sorcery are just a few things you can incorporate into this garden design.
Plants to Consider:
Black hellebore, black hollyhocks, the aforementioned dark pumpkins, borage, sea holly, black tulips and roses, mandrake, ginseng, aconite, rosemary, coltsfoot, elderberries.
Wonderful Plants with Creepy Names
…of course, sometimes the witchiest garden can simply be one that’s full of creepy-licious-sounding species. Add to the mystique by writing the plants’ names on interesting-looking plant markers (like little headstones!) and tucking them in amongst the blooms/greenery.
Plants to Consider:
Ghost pipe, witch hazel, deadly nightshade, devil’s claw, viper’s bugloss, butcher’s broom, snakeweed, Dracula orchids, voodoo lilies, devil’s trumpet, bloodroot, mourning widow, wolfsbane.
*Note and Disclaimer:
Many of these plants are dangerous, if not deadly. Please be careful. This guide is strictly informative, and should be followed at your own risk.
If you decide to plant flowers and such that you know are toxic, please handle them with proper care and protective clothing, and keep them well away from children and animals. If possible, fence them in to reduce the risk of accidental poisoning.
Harm none.
If you enjoyed this article, check out these related pieces!
+ 7 Healing Herbs to Grow in Your Garden
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