Tag Archives: Basil plant

Plant Apothecary

I don’t have much luck with outside plants, due to the crap British weather and the local wildlife that gets into our garden. Therefore, I’ve decided that this year I’ll grow lots of things in the conservatory on the back of the house (which is where our dogs Wade and Wilson and have their beds and bowls, as they sleep there at night and eat their meals in there too).

I found some great potted herbs at Costco and some others in Aldi, so here I have three types of thyme, flat leaved parsley, basil, rosemary, sage and oregano.

Today I’ve planted up into compost slices of cherry tomatoes (as the seeds in the tomatoes will germinate once the slice rots down) and some nasturtiums (trailing orange flowers who’s flowers and leaves you can eat). Nasturtiums are also great companion plants (which is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects etc) for tomatoes.

I’ve also bought the following seeds from Amazon, so I can plant up peppers (Capsicum), chilies, peas, purple basil, coriander, marjoram, dill, chamomile, cress, lemon balm and chives.

All these plants and herbs will be invaluable to me as a Green (and Kitchen) Witch and I can’t wait to tend to and care for them when they start growing!

Natural Aphid Spray

I grow a number of herbs in little pots that stick to the inside of my kitchen windows, as I like to have fresh herbs when I need them, they look really nice and the plants always get plenty of sunlight.

A few weeks ago I discovered (whilst talking to and tending to my herbs, as you do….), that my beloved Basil plant, which I’ve been growing for MONTHS, had dreaded aphids on him!

I whipped up a quick batch of natural aphid spray to gently encourage them to vacate (some may be sadly killed in the process and, for that, I am very sorry).

I used the following:

• Clean spray bottle (I reuse everything I can, so jam and pickle jars become herb containers or jar spells, old candle containers get new candles made inside them from soy wax, colourant wax and essential oils, and spray bottles, which have contained liquids that aren’t too toxic (fabulousa or febreeze spray bottles are ideal for this, but avoid anything that contained bleach or other harmful chemicals), get thoroughly washed out and reused, as more natural cleaning product bottles);

• 400ml fresh filtered water (we have hard water so everything we drink, cook with or give to the dogs gets filtered);

• 10-12 drops Rosemary essential oil;

• 10-12 drops Peppermint essential oil; and

• 10-12 drops Lemon essential oil.

I popped all the ingredients into the spray bottle, gave it a little shake and took my plant outside (to give them a chance to escape and bother someone else’s plants!) to spray the heck out of it!

I checked back the next day and they were all gone! I then gave my Basil a good spray with moonwater, as a little treat to help it recover from the vicious aphid onslaught and because I use this Basil in both my craft and my cooking, so I want to remove as much essential oil off the plant as I can.

Mr. Basil is doing very well now and not an interloper in sight!

Blessed Basil

Basil Is Known Far And Wide As A Culinary Herb, But It Also Contains Some Interesting Magical And Medicinal Properties. In Some Countries, However, Basil Is Considered Something That Real Men Don’t Eat — Why? Because It’s Associated With Teas That Are Used To Provide Relief From Painful Menstrual Periods.

It’s Also Used As An Anti-inflammatory. Try Some Of These Methods To Incorporate Basil Into Your Healing Magick.

Chewing On The Freshly Harvested Leaves Has A Couple Of Different Benefits – It Can Help Relieve Symptoms Of Coughs And Colds, And Even Better, It Can Leave Your Breath Smelling Healthy And Refreshed!

Use A Bit Of The Oil Or Extract On Insect Bites To Relieve Pain And Itching.

Boil The Leaves In Water To Make An Infusion, And Take A Small Amount Every Few Hours To Help Reduce Fever, As Well As Provide Headache Relief. Gargling With Basil Water Can Make A Sore Throat Feel Better.

Basil Is A Wonderful, Robust Herb, Which Is Attributed To A Variety Of Magical Uses Such As Consecration, Divination, Exorcism, Fertility, Fidelity, Luck, Happiness, Harmony And Love. Basil Is Bound To The Planet Mars And The Element Fire.