A moment to renew our garden vows

Apothecary News: I’m many months into working on the 2024 Lunica Planner and an end is finally in sight. Historical almanacs from centuries past were a huge inspiration this year and probably for years to come. The first almanac in Europe was printed in 1457! But almanacs have existed in some form or another in many cultures since astrology was first observed in Mesopotamia.

While the modern farmer’s almanac talks about ideal gardening tasks in accordance with lunar cycles, these earlier almanacs went even further to reference how each lunar cycle affected the physical human body, helping people time their medicine making and healing procedures. There was this divine trinity between land, body and spirit that has been whittled down over time. These almanacs honored both the physical and metaphysical (which was actually pretty surprising considering those were the heydays of Christianity). As a land-based living planner, I really wanted to honor these connections in the Lunica Planner as well. It truly is a modern day almanac that brings this sacred trinity back to life.

A screenshot of the astroherbology reference section in the 2024 Lunica Planner. More guidance on how you can work with the lunar cycles and medicine making is given throughout the planner.

If you’re not on the waitlist for the planner yet, you can sign up here to be notified when it is released in the fall.

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Tomorrow marks another turn in the wheel; the summer cross-quarter. If you follow the Gaelic tradition you may call it Lughnasadh. In traditional Polish culture we call it Matki Boskiej Zielnej, referring to the day of the divine mother of herbs (in modern times, it is celebrated on August 15, coinciding with the assumption of Mary. But it is likely that it originally fell on a day closer to the cross-quarter prior to Christianity).

This day typically celebrates the beginning of the harvest season. While this was an important moment for farmers, Matki Boskiej Zielnej was especially important for herbalists and healers as this was a day for blessing herbs as you may have guessed from the name. Women made bouquets and wreaths of flowers and herbs for this celebration and once they were blessed, they would be stored for purifying and healing throughout the year. It is certainly a day of untapped potential.

while this day is now devoted to Mary, it was originally a celebration of the goddess Mokosh, the spinner of women’s fates, protector of women and embodiment of mother earth

On a side note, I always encourage folks to discover what these celebrations are in their own ancestry. I believe it unlocks a deeper connection to these seasons.

But this day always makes me take another look at my own garden. Perhaps take a look at yours as well. Are you enjoying the harvests? Has it gone a bit rogue? Were you able to manifest all of the intentions and ideas you set in spring for this special space?

We are officially in the long languid dog days of summer, and with these days can come a bit of stagnancy in all areas of life. Maybe the fervor for planting, tending and weeding has waned a bit. Or maybe there is so much abundance that you simply don’t know what to do with it all.

It would be easy to simply sit back and let the garden take its own course for the rest of the season. What we sometimes forget though is that for most of us gardening isn’t a hobby or even a lifestyle. It is a relationship. This relationship is with the soil, the land, the plants and animals that call it home. And as with any relationship, we need to continue to feed it.

So on this cross-quarter day, I propose a vow renewal of sorts. We still have many weeks or months ahead of us to grow and cultivate connection and medicine. It is a time to recommit to playing an active role in the life of the garden. Because we are as integral a part in these spaces as anything else. Truly.

This vow renewal can manifest in many ways. Spend the evening in the garden singing, making art, offering a part of yourself back to the soil. It can be spending the day weeding and cleaning. Make a simple garden elixir by plucking various edible flowers and herbs and infusing them in water for a refreshing afternoon drink. Start seeds and prepare beds for a fall or winter garden.

I personally took on the task of tending to my hoop house. Since I moved the seedlings into the garden, it went a bit wild. I moved everything out, trimmed the weeds and mulched. I will add more compost and top soil to the right side of the hoop house as this is where I will put a cold frame for my own fall and winter garden.

As I was moving, cleaning, shoveling and sweating I felt this physical manifestation of this vow renewal. This commitment I make each winter and spring to care for the garden to the best of my abilities felt new and sparkly again. I did not miss the metaphor of clearing the stagnation out of the hoop house as a representation of clearing the stagnation in the garden. Once I finished, I could tangibly sense the new energy flowing throughout the entire garden. These things tend to spread.

She got a little wild!

Weeds cleared, path and left side mulched, right side left for cold frames. I also love using pallets as you can see on the right to keep seedlings as I can put on an extra layer of row cover for more warmth.

It is easy to become complacent in any relationship and the garden is no different. We go through the routines and get the job done, or maybe we neglect it every now and then. Even as I see and appreciate the beauty of the garden every day, it is still necessary for me to create these shifts every once in a while. All of the green new energy of spring can be recaptured even now.

However you spend this day, may you find a moment to see the garden in a new light. Rekindle that relationship. Breathe some new life into it. Revel in it. Learn something about it you hadn’t known before.

I think it’s also worth mentioning, that when I talked a bit about this on social media, someone commented that like a relationship, some years are simply harder than others. The garden changes every single year. We change every year. The world changes every year. So if this is simply a hard season for the relationship between you and your garden, that’s ok too. But the beautiful thing about this particular relationship is that it’s not going anywhere. It will always be here waiting for you to return. There is always another season right around the corner.

Much love,

Val