Happy New Year, Gardeners! We’re standing on the threshold of the new year, let’s pray that this year will be brighter and filled with hope. Last year was difficult in so many ways for so many people. May 2021 brings us renewed spirits and energy, and renewed appreciation of all the many gifts we are given every day!
Tonight is Ukrainian Christmas Eve, “Sviaty Vechir”, the Holy Evening. Kristos Rozdiatzia! Some traditions of this special night involve horticultural symbols, such as the diduch or wheat sheaf to represent a wish for a good harvest this year; the wisps of hay to remind of the manger where Baby Jesus lay; the delicious kutia made of wheat, always the first course of the special meal; and on the Christmas tree, perhaps one of our gardening friends, a spider.
There is a legend of the spider at Christmas: a poor widow and her children found a pinecone in their humble hut. The pinecone began to grow and became a little spruce tree, but the little family had no money to decorate the tree when Christmas arrived. When they woke up on Christmas morning, the tree was covered with cobwebs, and when touched by the morning sun, turned to silver and gold. The legend is also told with the baby Jesus making this miracle happen. Either way, the story is a lovely one, and results in spider web or spider decorations on the tree having special significance; it also means that finding a spider or spider web on the Christmas tree is good luck!
If we were going to plant a “good luck garden” after this difficult year, what could we plant? One of the first plants that springs to mind is oxalis, clover, which stands for good luck whether it is three-leaf or the mythical four-leaf clover!
Let’s save a spot in the south-west corner of our garden for a peony. The beautiful and fragrant peony brings us optimism and a positive attitude, and it also brings good luck in true love.
The elegant peace lily, spathyphillum, brings energy and peace to our gardens, and presumably to the gardener as well!
Lavender delivers positive tones to our garden, and also has the reputation of reducing worry. In these troubled times, that sounds like a good choice! Plus the silvery-gray-green foliage and purple flower spikes are a striking display when planted in a container.
Aloe vera brings interesting leaf shapes to a container grouping, but it is also known for luck. Feng shui tells us to place this plant in the east or north section of our patio or garden.
The pothos plant, a good and sturdy houseplant, can also look interesting in a container placed in partial shade. The pothos is said to bring us luck and wealth.
Fragrant sage, delicious for cooking, is also said to keep bad vibes away from out gardens. It makes a beautiful foliage plant, and we can easily dry the leaves in the fall to use in our turkey dressing! Yummy—I can taste it now!
These wonderful plants would make a beautiful “good-luck garden”! Now that we can look forward to spring with certainty, and to a brighter year with more hope, we can try to have at least one of these plants in our upcoming garden or container plantings!
At this time, there are no Yorkton and District Horticultural Society meetings scheduled yet, but visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca to keep up with what’s happening! Thank you to our friends at Yorkton This Week for their ongoing amazing work! Let’s pray for good health to all and brighter days ahead—have a great week!
