Although we’ve officially welcomed spring with Ostara and the equinox, it’s still been pretty consistently cold where I live. There have been some odd warm days though that provided a reprieve I didn’t even know I needed.
New York is mostly in climate zone 7 so it turns out our last estimated frost date isn’t till late April/ early May. Still, I am surprisingly determined to grow things this year so I’ve started seeds indoors already! I thought I was late in getting things started but I may actually just be...on time? Which honestly is an accomplishment for me. 😂
While waiting for the seeds I ordered online to arrive in the mail (it really feels like most of my days in quarantine have been waiting for packages), I tried starting some seeds I still had that are likely at least 3 years old. Half I’d put in the freezer and some were shoved into a drawer so I didn’t get my hopes too high, but to my surprise they were still viable and nearly all germinated. So now I’ve got a bunch of basil and lemon balm seedlings going along with a few garden sage! I have way more than I think I will need or even have space for but I’m excited!
The new seeds consist of valerian, passion flower, catnip, lemon mint, skullcap, white sage, and prairie sage. I also got more rosemary, lemon balm, and garden sage. If you can’t tell, I really love herbs and herb gardening. I think this true for many witches, green or otherwise, but most herbs are also great for growing in containers. Living in the city, surrounded by so much concrete, I’ve had few opportunities to actually plant outside in the ground. Indoor or urban gardening comes with its own set of challenges, but there is a bit more degree of control. (There is a patch I could plant outside in but I would have to fight with the ivy to get started and then figure out how to protect my crops from the feral cats, though inside I also have to figure out how to protect my plants from my own curious cat. But that’s why I’m also growing catnip.😹)
At any rate, though I’m still playing the germination game with most of my seeds (valerian why won’t you grow!?), I hope to be surrounded by a thriving garden of some sort by summer. I’m not aiming for the quantities of urban farming but I hope for enough to use in/on some soaps or at least to add to cooking, burn as incense, or make myself a nice cup of tea. 🍵