My Top 6 Plants to Grow in a Witchy Garden
Plants to grow for beauty and for ritual.
There’s nothing quite like getting swept up in a new seed catalog or a walk through the local greenhouse in the spring. Or being swallowed up into the ethereal vibes of a well-designed Instagram reel or curated Pinterest photo that exudes a wild, whimsical and witchy garden. Trust me… I get it… I am that person every time.
But I also know that right now, my yard has limitations on space, and so it’s important to me that I think about what I’m growing from a couple different angles. Maybe it’s my resourceful side that comes out… or my crafty one… but I like to make sure that when I grow things for my witchy garden, they’re plants I’ll actually use, too.
When I think about that specifically, I’m thinking about plants that I can grow that fall into one of these buckets:
I can cook/bake/drink with them.
I can craft with them.
I can use them in my ritual work.
I can actually grow them (this one seems obvious, but it’s always important to think about growing conditions.
The good news is that many things fall into multiple categories, which make them little workhorses… and I love it when that happens!
So today I’m sharing my top six plants to grow in a witchy garden that you’ll actually use, plus a few honorable mentions.
My Top 6 Plants to Grow in a Witchy Garden
Lavender
This is, by far, my go-to plant that I can never get enough of. Every year I add more plants to the garden - some from seed, some from clippings, some from the local nursery. I grow a few different varieties (insert names here) so that I have my bases covered because some are better for culinary work and some are better for crafting (like skincare, oils, etc.). With Lavender, I’ll use it fresh in bouquets or little jars around the house and then dried for most everything else.
Symbolism: Peace, purity, clarity, joy
Calendula
This one has quickly become another favorite of mine, specifically Calendula officinalis (which are a medicinal variety). It grows plentifully throughout the summer and is a “cut-and-come-again” flower so the more you cut, the more it grows. Not only is is a beautiful flower for any summer or fire ritual work (given it’s perfectly golden disc-shaped flowers that mimic the sun), but it’s an incredibly beneficial plant for skin irritations. I love to dry the flowers and then place them in oil to create my own calendula oil which I then use in salves and creams for the colder weather. I’ve given batches of creams away for gifts and my friends rave about it… and ask me for more every year. There’s something incredibly special about starting (from seed) a plant that eventually ends up being soaked into your skin as a healing ointment… talk about feeling witchy!
Symbolism: Happiness, joy, healing, hope
Basil
Is there an herb that reminds you of summer more than basil? For me there isn’t. A fresh caprese salad or tossed in with some watermelon and feta cheese, a few fresh sprigs in water or as a garnish to a refreshing beverage, or crushed into the most delectable pesto… this herb is one that I can never get enough of. But it’s also gorgeous in bouquets giving them a beautiful scent (there’s different varieties I grow for different scents - like lemon, cinnamon, and others).
Symbolism: Abundance, luck, prosperity, communication
Mint (Spearmint & Peppermint)
Similarly to basil, mint is an herb that is a staple for me during the warmer months. Mainly used as an infusion in water (or ice cubes) to give a boost of crispness to the hot days or a fancy garnish for a beverage. But I also like to use mint in ritual work, especially in relation to air-related practices.There are many varieties that are perennial, which means you can plant it once and be rewarded season after season, but it spreads rapidly so it’s always recommended to grow in a container or raised bed where it can stay contained.
Symbolism: Prosperity, health, love, abundance
Rosemary
Rosemary is an herb that I always associated with the holidays, but in recent years I’ve come to treasure it more so because of its place in my ritual work. It’s a lovely and delectable herb to have in the garden, especially to cook with, but it’s also an herb that works beautifully for smoke cleansing and was historically used for such, especially in the United Kingdom and surrounding areas. I’ll harvest 5-6” stalks and bundle them together when fresh, and then hang them upside down to dry for a couple weeks before using them in my practice. Rosemary is a slower growing plant, so while you can start them from seeds, if you’re looking to build up stock getting some from a local greenhouse can be a wonderful thing to do.
Symbolism: Protection, loyalty, purification, healing
Sage
Sage is in the same camp as rosemary for me. A wonderful herb to use in culinary delicacies, but also one that’s grown on me for it’s place in my ritual work. Many people are aware of smudging as a method of cleansing (using primarily white sage), but many might not know that smudging is a closed practice reserved for indigenous cultures. In my own path, being mindful and respecting the people and traditions of various cultures is important to me. I grow garden sage to wrap into my rosemary bundles and also to use in my kitchen witchery. To me, this feels like it allows for the properties of the plant to be a part of my practice while still being respectful.
Symbolism: Luck, wisdom, purification, prosperity
Plants pictured (left to right): Echinacea, Rose, Marigolds (photos from my garden)
Honorable mentions to Grow in Your Witchy Garden
There really is no shortage of plants for a witchy garden. I could go on and on about ones to include for various reasons but these flowers are all wonderful to have in the garden. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re incredibly useful for their medicinal properties, too. I have them growing, but I find I haven’t used them enough in other ways to really reap their benefits (but maybe this is the year?).
Echinacea
To me, Echinacea (Echinacea Purpurea) feels like a staple in the garden. It’s one of the flowers that you see everywhere here in Michigan and one that takes me right back to my mom’s perennial garden as a child, with the big pink flower heads swaying in the summer breeze. The flowers are gorgeous, they’re native and so the pollinators love them, and they have wonderful medicinal properties for immune systems.
Symbolism: Healing, strength, immunity, protection
Roses
Roses feel a bit special and sentimental to me, as they filled my Grandmother’s back yard every summer. She tended to them with great care and always made sure to point them out on a summer visit just in case you happened to miss them (which was never the case). Bright red roses would climb along her crisp white fence, reminiscent of her days as the first Cherry Princess in our hometown’s annual festival. I planted a rose in my garden as a tribute to her after she passed, and I’m sure to add more. The flowers are stunning, the petals are gorgeous for rituals and the rose hips carry their own healing powers that can be used in a variety of ways.
Symbolism: Love, beauty, empowerment, peace
Marigold
This is the one, out of the three, that I do tend to use most, especially in ritual work. I grow a couple different types - shorter standard varieties to keep the bunnies from nibbling seedlings and taller African varieties (Tagetes erecta) I can use in bouquets - but both become special in the lead-up to Samhain. Marigolds are associated with those who have passed on which is why you see them in traditional celebrations such as Día de lose Muertos. They’re thought to be “little lanterns” lighting the way back home for those we’ve lost. They’re beautiful dried or fresh, strung on string or placed on an ancestral altar.
They’re also a wonderful flower for printmaking and dying crafts given their strong pigments.
Symbolism: Life, death, rememberance, creativity
Mugwort
As much as I’d like to have my own little patch of it at home, this is actually invasive here in Michigan and therefore it grows plentifully in other areas that I can harvest from. But it is one of THE witchy plants to work with so it’s a must. Check your local area to see if it’s invasive where you are before thinking about growing it yourself. Or, at the very least, grow it in a container/raised bed to keep it contained. It’s wonderful to curate a garden with exactly what we want, and then it’s a different kind of magic to find what’s wild growing around you. As with any foraging, it’s important to do so responsibly, which means don’t take more than you actually need (less is more in the cycle of reciprocity) and make sure you have permission to gather what you do.
Symbolism: Dreaming, divination, healing, protection
No matter what you chose, intention matters most.
As I mentioned earlier, I could go on and on about plants to grow in a witchy garden. But I hope that this has given you some ideas of plants that might work for your own space and practice. As with anything - witchy or not - grow what works for you and based on your intentions. Whatever you decide to have in your garden, if there’s an intention behind it, that will make it magical enough.
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