I’m trying my hand at gardening and growing herbs, but alas this year I did nearly everything wrong. Somethings, like my lettuce and zucchini turned out great, but not so much my tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. Part of it is that I started it during the early days of the lockdown, but then as I had to go onto the office again I didn’t have the time. I also lacked some tools and know-how. So this winter I’m going to take my time to read up on how to plant a garden and manage the up-keep. I’m also going to use my aerogarden to learn more about growing healthy herbs and tomatoes.

I have big aspirations to be a hedge witch, knowledgeable in herbs and how to make essential oil and medicinal tinctures and herbal tea. I also want to keep a garden to make meals from scratch. Three herbs that did well for me were chamomile, mint, and catnip. I plan to make some tea blends with them and, of course, drug my cats with the nip. The addicts!

A Kitchen Witch book I bought makes the claim that our food carries the energy of the people and conditions it was made in, so it’s best for us to grow and make as much of our food ourselves as possible. I believe this to be true and basic logic. Whether or not one believes in the metaphysical properties of energy transference, it doesn’t take a genius to feel the inherent difference between something out of a box and fresh food out of a garden. And to take that further, pulling it out of the garden is so much better than buying it in the produce department of a grocery store.

Is the food you grow and harvest yourself really spiritually and nutritionally better for you? I’d say yes. From the ground to the table it keeps more of it’s nutrients since it doesn’t have to travel far only to sit on a shelf and wait to be picked up by a shopper. And when you put your heart and soul into growing something, you can’t help but be enriched by that. I felt good every time I made a salad with my lettuce and tomatoes (do not ask about the poor, sad cucumber plant). Yesterday I made chicken fried rice with my wife’s garden carrots and I was beaming with pride at how good they tasted! Today I made a spaghetti sauce with my basil and oregano that was amazing!

When I can’t grow my own food, I at least try to cook my own food. It’s not always easy when I work a 9-5 job and I want to write, research, and relax a little. I admit it, I use Grubhub a lot. Waaaay to much. And I have to say I can totally tell when the chef at whatever restaurant was having a bad day. It telegraphs in the food. Cooking is an art. If someone is depressed or angry, it messes with the mojo and it ends up in the taste of the food.

This fall and winter I’ll get to work on learning how to build a better garden. Even though I messed up a lot on my Coronavirus Impromptu Victory Garden, I still found it quite fulfilling! I hope a lot of you out there have tried growing your own garden or are thinking about trying it too. If anyone out there has some good tips on gardening or knows of a good book or youtube channel – drop me a line! I’d love to hear from you.