Tending the heart of RavenCroft

I have been unusually impatient this spring waiting for the seeds I planted to burst forth from earth. Everyday, I checked them in the greenhouse and the garden longing for life to show itself. I felt an unfamiliar tension throughout my body, an expectation, and caught myself holding my breath... as if this would bring them forth sooner. Even on the coldest and wettest days in April, I sought out that tiny spark of green. Time passed and seeds sprouted but it wasn’t until May, when the leaves on the trees burst forth and the world became green that I felt myself relax. Maybe, it has been all the changes around me and not knowing what would happen next that was at the heart of my impatience. I relaxed when I felt the familiar, eternal cycle of time and the beautiful expression of renewal, Spring. Each day I lean into this blessed turning as a Trust with life and the earth. As I go forward into The May, into summer, I tend this trust and the heart of RavenCroft, in the garden. Greenest of Blessings!

Simple Steps to Start Skullcap and Poke Root from Seed

Skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora, has very small seeds. Use a pot with 3” of soil & compost mix, where you can spread the seeds on the top surface of the soil and then lightly press into the surface. Water in and then stratify, give seeds a chance to go through freezing thawing temps. The seeded pot was put outside on January 26 for one month. At the end of February, I brought seeds into RavenCroft’s unheated greenhouse and put on a heat mat. One month later, after sprouting and growing a good root, seedlings were pricked into a 2” cell flat. At the end of April, they were transplanted into 2” pots. Wait for plant roots to fill the pot and grow a vibrant green top before planting outside.

Poke Root Phytolacca decandra

Poke Root has seeds that are comparable in size to radishes. Use a pot with 3” of soil & compost mix, where you can spread seed on the top surface, press in lightly and then spread a ¼” of soil lightly over the seeds. Water in and place on a heat mat. Seeds were planted on January 26 in RavenCroft unheated greenhouse. In the middle of March, seedlings were pricked into a 2” cell flat. At the end of April, healthy starts were potted into 2” pots. Wait for plant roots to fill pot and grow a healthy green top before planting out.