Herbs, magic, and some other stuff that I found interesting

Obligatory Hallowe'en post...



Online Open Courses-
Magic in the Middle Ages
(I took this and it's quite interesting)


Videos-
 Science, Magic and Religion- From Antiquity to Today


Blogs, Encyclopedia Entries and Articles-
How Witch's Brews Helped Bring Modern Drugs to Market- Smithsonian Mag
Astrology and medicine in the Middle Ages
John Dee's Crystal
Herbalism in the Middle Ages- Wikipedia
Medieval magical plants from the Cloisters Gardens, NYC

Battening down the (garden) hatches for the winter

Here's a list of things you can do this month in your garden:

-Planting spring bulbs.

-Mulch up the base of tender roses to protect them from the freeze/thaw cycle- Use triple mix or clean topsoil. Rose shrubs and climbers should be fine without this.

-Dig in mulch and compost for the spring (so you don't have to do it when it's wet and partially frozen).

-Empty and put away anything that has water in it, such as hoses, and don't forget to turn off the water line in the basement that goes outside.

-Wrap up or put straw on plants that need extra winter protection.

-Plant garlic for the spring.

-Do a final and full weeding to get things ready.