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Calendula

Wed, 07/09/2008 - 15:02 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Calendula officinalis

Zones:
most
Other Names:
pot marigold, english marigold, poet's marigold, Husbandman's Dial, Marybud, Merrybud, Marygold, Summer's Bride

Calendula is a mediterranean annual that has become a popular garden plant in much of the world.

Propagation:

Calendula likes a full sun position, but doesn't like too much heatl. It will grow readily from seed and will reseed if allowed to do so in mild climates. Those who live in colder climates should gather the seeds in autumn and replant the following year. Seeds should be planted right in the garden as soon as the danger of frost has passed and barely covered. Thin to 12 inches apart. Although they are tolerant of poor soils, calendula prefers to be planted in a nice bed of compost and some mulch around its roots once it gets going in the summer.

They do well in pots and window boxes too. However, many people find their aroma to be too overpowering for indoors.

Calendula are attractive to aphids which makes them a good diversion plant for more delicate plants. They are also susceptible to mildew if it is too hot and humid. Use a soap spray to get rid of aphids and a gentle fungacide will take care of the mildew.

History and Folklore:

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all loved calendula and used it for culinary and healing purposes. During the medieval period it was considered a cure for just about everything. During the Rennaissance, it was a popular garden flower and commonly used as a pot herb earning it the name pot marigold.

Shakespear honored the flower in a verse in A Winter's Tale
""Hot lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram;
The marigold, that goes to bed wi' the sun
And with him rises weeping: these are flowers.""
It was said that if marigold didn't open by 7am there would be a thunderstorm.

One medieval belief about marigold was that it would strip a witch of her will.

Harvesting & Storage:

Pick flowers as soon as they open as they get progressively more bitter the older they get. Dry upside down in a dark place with good ventilation. Once they are dry, remove the petals and store in a sealed jar away from light and heat which can damage the oils they contain.

Household Use:

Calendula makes for long lasting cut flowers, but the scent is overpowering for some.

Petals can be used to make a lovely yellow dye. It has been used to lighten hair.

Magical Attributes:

Calendula symbolizes love and constancy and is great for wedding bouquets and decorations. It is the traditional "he loves me, he loves me not" flower and is useful for love potions.

Wreaths of marigold hung over a door are said to keep evil and negativity from entering.

Dried petals can be strewn to consecrate an area or burned in consecrationi insense. They are also a good addition to dream pillows.

Healing Attributes:

Calendula is antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic and is often added to healing salves.

Culinary Use:

Calendula petals can be used as a food coloring agent and has traditionally been used to color butter and cheese. Many people use it to make yellow rice without saffron. They are also good in salads or sprinkled over cakes for a festive look.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Hellebore

Mon, 01/07/2008 - 19:14 — DawnBlack
Botanical Name:

Helleborus spp.

Zones:
varied
Other Names:
Christe Herbe, Christmas Rose, Melampode, Black Hellebore

Native to much of Europe. Helebores are members of the family Ranunculaceae, which is often confused with members of the Rosacea family.

Propagation:

Hellebore will grow in any well-drained garden soil and is extremely shade tolerant. It is great for underplantings around shrubs and troublesome shady spots in the garden. Seedlings can be directly sowed or started indoors and transplanted no later than their second year. Sometimes it takes a few years for flowers to appear. Be patient and your Hellebore will bloom by its third year.

Divide as necessary in Mid to late summer once the root stock is big enough to be cut.

Hellebore is extremely poisonous. It is best to wear gloves when working with it to avoid absorption through the skin.

History and Folklore:

Ancient herbals distinguish between Black Hellebore and White Hellebore. White Hellebore has been identified by modern scholars as a plant now known as False Hellebore. Black Hellebore, on the other hand has been identified as Helleborus officianalis, a native of Greece and Asia Minor.

The genus name, Helleborus comes from the Greek elein, meaning "to injur" and bora, meaning "food" alluding to the plant's poisonous nature.

Melampodium, an old name for Hellebore, refers to the ancient physician Melampus who used Hellebore to cure the daughters of the king of Argos of the madness of the maenads. Where they drunk? Did the herb make them vomit themselves sober?

Some have speculated the Alexander the Great died of Hellebore poisoning while being treated for an illness.

In Christian lore, the first Hellebore grew from the spot where a little girl's tear dropped onto the snow because she had no gift for the Christ child.

According to some sources, Hellebore was an ingredient in the legendary "flying ointmenti".

Harvesting & Storage:

Wear gloves while harvesting. Harvest hellebore just after it blooms, on a moonless night, if you want to get fancy. Hang to dry and store in a sealed container away from moisture and light.

Household Use:

Hellebore will brighten up the shady corners of your garden and perhaps discourage critters from raiding it.

Magical Attributes:

Hellebore is associated with Mars and Saturn and corresponds to the element water.

It is used in magic for healing of mental/emotional afflictions and for banishing and exorcisms. It has been used also for increasing intelligence and for protection and invisibility spells. Apparently the plant was dried and powdered and scattered around the person to be made invisible. Ancient magicians also used hellebore to change the nature of other plants, to make their fruits have various unpleasant and uhealthy properties by either grafting the plants together or using hellebore as fertilizer.

This is a banefuli herb which should never be ingested and you should wear gloves when handling it.

Healing Attributes:

Hellebore was traditionally used as a cure for poisoning of livestock and was considered by the ancient Greeks to be a cure for insanity. It was also used as a powerful purgative. Its use is not advised by anyone today.

Culinary Use:

None. This is a poisonous herb.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Although Hellebore is extremely poisonous, it is also extremely unpleasant to put into one's mouth. Thus, it's not as dangerous as it could be. Animals and children who may put it in their mouth will likely spit it right back out. However, handling it extensively is not advised either because toxins may absorb through the skin.

For magical purposes, roses can be substituted for hellebore.

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