In many parts of the U.S., it was considered good luck to plant these crops on St. Decreasing moonlight (a waning moon) was believed to encourage the growth of bulbs, tubers, and roots, so it was a good time to plant crops like potatoes, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, and flowering bulbs. Increasing moonlight (a waxing moon) was believed to encourage the growth of leaves and stems, so it was an excellent time to plant crops like tomatoes, winter squash, cucumbers, corn, and peppers. A common belief was that the moonlight increasing or decreasing each night affected which plant parts would grow best. Planting by the phases of the moon was once a common tradition and is still used by many gardeners. Plant above ground crops during the waxing moon and below ground crops during the waning moon. We still include this one in our corn-growing guide! Corn should be planted after your first average frost-free date, and you can usually count on the oak leaves starting to grow by then. Plant your corn when the oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear. All parts of the plant are extremely toxic. ![]() Never consume or use any part of foxglove in an ointment or herbal remedy. You can read a bit more about this odd tradition here. An herbal preparation called “flying ointments” were once created from various hallucinogenic and toxic plants and allowed the users to have visions. Although foxglove may have never allowed anyone to physically fly, there is some tidbit of truth behind this belief. Witches were reported to make ointments and balms from foxglove that allowed them to fly. Today some believe that the name foxglove may have been initially “folk’s glove” as fairies were sometimes referred to as “the folk.” In Norwegian folklore, it was believed they were named foxgloves because faeries taught foxes how to ring the foxgloves’ bell-shaped flowers and warn each other of hunters. Foxgloves grew where the faeries flourished, and planting them would invite faeries to your garden. ![]() People once believed that foxgloves were associated with faeries. Either way, best to just give a response like, “what a gorgeous a pepper.” Foxglove is often associated with fairies or witches. Some folks say it’s just bad luck and others say the plant will die. Never say “thank you” for a plant.Ī common belief in Appalachia is that you should never thank someone for a plant or cutting. Some of these traditions have a solid basis others maybe not so much. Garden folklore has helped gardeners decide when to plant, how to plant, when to harvest, and other essential tasks over the years. Gardening is an age-old occupation, and over the years, gardeners have come up with some interesting ways to improve their production.
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