Читать книгу The Real Witches’ Garden: Spells, Herbs, Plants and Magical Spaces Outdoors - Kate West - Страница 14

It goes without saying that you cannot expect a garden, or portion thereof, to remain static. Nature is boundless, resourceful and energetic, and plants will continue to grow, whether you’ve planned it that way or not! It is therefore a good idea to set aside a little time to tend your Sacred Space on a regular basis. Many Witches I know like to do this just before the Full Moon and the Sabbats. Not only is this just before they intend to use it and hence leaves it in the best possible condition for their Rituals, but they are also, for the practising Witch, easy times to remember.

I find that one of the most difficult aspects in tending the outdoor Sacred Space lies not so much in finding the time to plant and grow, but in finding the strength of mind to uproot and cut back. It can easily seem somehow ungrateful to take away the excess growth! However, you do have to be fairly firm, as a garden allowed to run riot will quickly turn into a wild place where some species, like mint, can take over to the detriment of slower-growing, less prolific species. Many plants have special requirements and there is certainly no room in a book like this to list them all, but as a general rule of thumb, Spring and Autumn are the best seasons for major pruning and trimming. Many gardeners recommend doing your major trimming in the Spring, as this gives the plant the benefit of improving weather to re-establish itself. However, it is worth mentioning that a good prune in the Autumn after the plant has flowered and seeded, can give it a good chance to show its best in Summer and to rest over the Winter, as well as the ability to produce a healthy new generation of seedlings for the following year. Privet is a good example of this as a Spring prune often results in no flowers, whereas an Autumn one allows the plant to flower. Furthermore, Autumn pruning is less likely to disturb nesting birds.

Whenever you tend your Sacred Space, follow the same approach as you did above for dedicating it. Indeed, any part of working on your garden or home will benefit from the same approach, as dedicating your work to the Goddess and the God has the effect of making the task easier to complete and more effective.