![Adobe_Post_20190929_0640310.1021500215184229.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/9HxPC1Fv-Adobe_Post_20190929_0640310.1021500215184229.png)

When I was a kid, if I was going to chose between being a witch and being a fairy, I'd always choose the witch. The witch was the outcast, but she was also the wise woman, albeit misunderstood. And she'd always have potions and cauldrons and herbs hanging from the rafters, at one with nature in her cottage in the woods. She knew a lot more than fairies, because she could talk to the animals, shapeshift (who wouldn't want to be an owl or a fox?) and knew which plants could poison, or cure.

For years now I've wanted to get more medicinal herbs in my garden but I just haven't been able to because we've been concentrating on the larger space. Now, we're spiralling inwards to fill the gaps with herbs, nestled in the shady spots, the wicking beds and little dedicated beds near the chicken house. 

There's so much going on in my garden as Spring starts, that I'm going to have to divide my September garden update into two or three posts. I thought I'd start with my all the herbs I'm growing, as they all tell a story, and are close to my heart. 

The wormwood (artemisa) is a special one because of our (naughty) nights on absinthe. She's anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, and a bitter digestive. I love her silver foliage. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/7IeMxQ1z-20190928_102423.jpg

I wasn't too keen on planting lavender, as it reminded me of grannys (not witch grannys) but @walkerland waxed lyrical about her so much, and I've been using her so much as a sedative and calmative I just had to plant three. I've fallen in love with this plant all over again. The bees totally adore her. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/sp82JDjc-20190928_102003.jpg

Mint, I always have tons. Who knows when you need a mojito? Plus, it's great in smoothies and in salads too. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/SY0n0jMv-20190928_102041.jpg

Ah, hops! It's going to go gangbusters this year. My meditator friends were around on the weekend and they were seriously drinking tons of hops tea. Haven't drunk beer in 20 odd years, but will totally space out on hops no problem. The vine came from Tassie, but they were too scared to sneak it back in (customs) and are very, very jealous of our hops harvest. A painkiller and a sedative extraordinairre, our old mate hops. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/y1QXXDvy-20190928_102214.jpg

Next, is a few seeds pushing through the soil in the mini greenhouse. These came across customs no problems, courtesy of @sagescrub, from Oregon to Australia. Our bad, yeah yeah. But these plants are already in Australia, so can't see the problem. Mullein, St John's Wort, Tulsi basil, Sweetbasil, elecampane, ashwanghwa and white sage are all starting from seed really nicely. I'm going to be selling some locally, spreading the abundance of medicinal herbs throughout the community. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/4fIe4A0s-20190928_102407.jpg

I've never, ever gone without oregano, thyme or parsley in the garden - or garlic chives. They're all such great culinary herbs as well as medicinal. This golden oregano is very bright and cheery. Love it! 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/j6MAEU9Z-20190928_102020.jpg

Ah, pennroyal. This is a cute story. Rao, the Indian guy who owns a nursery about half an hour from here, is super generous, loves his plants, and always greets us with a smile - partly, I'm sure, because he advertises on the gardening facebook group I run. Anyway, he comes over with this herb and says to me 'Bet you can't guess what this is! If you guess you can have for free!'. I rub it between my fingers and say 'wouldn't be pennyroyal, would it?'. Boo-YAH! Got it in one. It distinctively reminds me of drinking tons of pennyroyal tea in the bath when I was in my early '20's, *just in case* I was pregnant (don't judge me) as it's meant to help sort that out - it's an abortifacient. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. In fact, it's downright dangerous to - read more about woman across the ages using the 'pennyroyal pill' [here](http://the-toast.net/2015/05/27/a-cup-of-pennyroyal-tea/).

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/jzBZthWi-20190928_102257.jpg

Cue Pennyroyal Tea by Nirvana: 

> I'm on my time with everyone
I have very bad posture
Sit and drink pennyroyal tea
Distill the life that's inside of me
Sit and drink pennyroyal tea
I'm anemic royalty
Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld
So I can sigh eternally
I'm so tired I can't sleep
I'm a liar and a thief
Sit and drink pennyroyal tea
I'm anemic royalty
I'm on warm milk and laxatives
Cherry-flavored antacids
Sit and drink pennyroyal tea
Distill the life that's inside of me
Sit and drink pennyroyal tea
I'm anemic royalty

On a less depressing note, we have white sage. I looked for her EVERYWHERE, and finally ordered the seeds. The day they were delivered I found a plant at a nursery and couldn't resist. Such a magical plant and again, the grey foliage! So pretty. It's also pretty drought tolerant which is great for the outskirts of our garden, with the lavender who doesn't mind it dry either. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/4dI5erGN-20190928_101925.jpg

Next is the darling feathery yarrow. I have some yellow yarrow (try saying that super fast) from @sagescrub, but this one came from my naturopath's herb garden. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/bOrraeQz-20190928_102117.jpg

Then, there's Vietnamese mint. It always, always died on me - it does like a bit of water - but once in the wicking beds, it thrived, and didn't even die in the frost. I just potted up tons of it to give away when we have our community gardeners meet up in a month. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/VdQXyGbz-20190928_102113.jpg

We've been having a bit of a chat about goji berry vs wolfberry in the Natural Medicine discord server. I'm not sure which one this is - @ligayagardener might know. At her feet is planted a borage which I got from a guy in town who ACTUALLY knows a bit about crypto and I might just talk into onboarding on Steem. Fingers crossed. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/Hzeph823-20190928_102248.jpg

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/wNKGN2ad-20190928_102234.jpg

Then there's lemon balm, also a gift from Rao the nursery guy who started just throwing more herbs at me. I think it might be bribery for a review, but also he just took a long time to get over the fact I guessed pennyroyal correctly. Jamie loathes lemon balm as he was always digging it out in the UK as a landscape gardener and developed an aversion to it. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/YcpBTuXn-20190928_102315.jpg

Poking up from soil here is mugwort, another gift from Rao. I only asked the universe for mugwort two days ago!! Thankyou, universe! Thanks, Rao! 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/AEeFGbiW-20190928_102326.jpg

Note the sticks around the mugwort. They're to keep the bloody chickens from scratching it to buggery, excuse my Australian. I also had to do that to the lemon thyme and the horseradish, and I dare not let them in my garlic patch as the garlic will all end up trodden. 

Well, that's my witchy herb garden update - I'll be bringing you some witchy brew & potions soon! 

***NB. Dear Steem humans, please don't think ill of us for scratching up @riverflows garden. It is Spring and we're starving. We spend all day following her around the garden and do you think she notices? No, she just goes on about herbs when we want OATS! And SUNFLOWER SEEDS! And watermelon!! I mean, it's the least she can do for us popping out eggs and eating bugs for her, right? - Yours, Strawbum***

###### Oh, and this was a response to @simplymike's #gardenjournal2019 challenge - one of the best challenges on this platform! Go check it out, and check out the tag too... lots of garden goodness!!

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