You Grow Girl™

Wow...it's been a blur of classes since my horticulture studies resumed last month. I'm finishing up the second parts to my Basic Horticulture class and Plant Materials class. I'm also taking another succulents lab and a veggie/fruit gardening class called Edible Landscaping. I'm learning so much each week that it's hard to talk all about it here in my journal, so I'll try to give just the highlights.

Prof. Lisa McAndrews chats about cedars

One of my favorite classes is Plant Materials all due to the enthusiastic teacher, Lisa McAndrews. She has a way of teaching that makes gardening, botany and horticulture as a whole understandable to everyone. It's because of her that I have a new obsession with learning about trees and native California plants! Every week we have a lecture about the history of gardening, the importance of flowering trees and so on, and then a lab where we walk around for three hours as she tells us the growing habits and care of various trees, shrubs, vines, hedges, etc. And dang, can that woman speed walk! Half the time I feel like I'm at a gym more than a plant lab!

This semester I'm trying to make more of a point to also study the medicinal qualities of the plants we study, as well as each plant's ethnobotany (historical uses, folklore) and its magical properties. I have three or four Wiccan plant books I can refer to for my studies and so far it's proving to be rather interesting.

Myrica california - (Pacific Wax Myrtle)

Case in point, Myrica california otherwise known by its common name Pacific Wax Myrtle. It's native to Washington state through southern California, especially in redwood forests where it grows more like a tree than a shrub. It can get up to 25 ft. tall and is hardy to 15 degrees F. Beautiful green and purple catkins bloom on the tree and it has a round, dark purple fruit. But did you also know that the Myrtle tree was often used as a symbol of divine generosity - an emblem of peace and joy - in Christian religious ceremonies?

According to Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Myrtle has been long considered a "love" herb. It is added to many love sachets and spells, especially those written to keep love alive and exciting. If it's grown on each side of your house, love and peace will reside within. It's also lucky to grow Myrtle in window boxes, but only if it's planted by a woman.

Arctotheca calendula - (Cape Weed)

I'm even learning to appreciate the beauty in "weeds" as with this Arctotheca calendula also known as Cape Weed. Personally, I think it's beautiful and it's supposed to be durable enough to withstand foot traffic, especially from doggies!