

Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’
The seeds that I ordered from Victory Seeds arrived a couple of weeks ago but I am only now getting around to browsing through the packets to decide which to try first.
I gave my daughter the blue morning glory seeds. She’s been moping about because the only color available was red. (Quite a dramatic reddish purple, but she really wanted blue.)
The other flowers were red corn poppy, painted daisy, shasta daisy and sunflower ‘Autumn Beauty.’
The red corn poppy can be sown “in late fall” — so maybe over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The rest of these will have to wait for March or April next year.
The reason behind the seed order was to grow plants for a photo series on homeopathic remedies. Those seed packets went into a separate stack.
To stay on track, I need to plan ahead for taking photographs of borage, chamomile, pot marigold and tobacco at different stages of their growth and with a background that suggests their use as homeopathic botanicals:
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borage, Borago officinalis
homeopathy: from Joel Kreisberg of the Flower Essence Society, “As a homeopathic remedy, it brings playfulness and spontaneity to persons who have been burdened by family responsibility, becoming hardened and resentful. Their argumentativeness stems from their protective nature due to their anxiety about the family’s welfare. ”
gardening: Direct seed into the soil in mid-spring. Very easy to grow. The plant stays attractive for a long time and is a good candidate for landscape plantings. It is also a great self-seeder.
visual: the flowers are an eye-popping blue.
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chamomile, Matricaria recutita
homeopathy: from Historical Remedies, “Chamomile’s homeopathic preparation acts deeper on the nervous system than the common tea, and helps to quickly take the edge off any form of distress or agitation.”
gardening: Direct seed into the soil in mid-spring. Very easy to grow. The plant stays attractive for a long time and is a good candidate for landscape plantings. It is also a great self-seeder.
visual: fall-back is chamomile tea.
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pot marigold, Calendula
homeopathy: from Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines
by Stephen Cummings, MD, and Dana Ullman, MPH, topical application “promotes granualtion of tissues to heal wouds and burns, helps stop bleeding, and inhibits infection. It is used for shallow injuries, such as scrapes and sores.”
gardening: Calendula thrives in poor soils. If you live in an aread with mild winters, try sowing in mid-September for early summer blooms or plant in early spring for flowers from July onward.
visual: ow… a scraped elbow or knee.
tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L.
homeopathy: from Everybody’s guide to homeopathic medicines
by Stephen Cummings, MD, and Dana Ullman, MPH, Nictoriana should be considered for motion sickness when “symptoms include deathly nausea… The patient is cold and pale, and his body is bathed in cold perspiration. He suffers from violent vomiting with renewed retching every time he moves. His symptoms are particularly worse in warmth and are better in the open air, when the eyes are closed, and in a quiet, dark environment.”
gardening: Surface sow in early spring and water in. Germination may take up to 21 days. After the second true leaf appears, carefully transplant individuals into cell packs or pots. Transplant hardened off plants into a garden location with well-drained soil after all danger of frost has passed. Tobacco prefers healthy, rich soil in full sun.
visual: ewww… maybe a toy boat or airplane, perhaps an extreme close-up on closed eyes and beaded sweat. No vomit, please.
Gardening quotes are from the back of the Victory Seeds packets.
Looks like the calendula can be started soon, but the other homeopathic botanicals should wait at least until February or March. We don’t often get freezes, but the late summer heat could do them in before they have a chance to become established.
While I’m waiting, I can work on improving ideas for visuals, making them more arresting and suggestive.
Surely I can do better than a cup of chamomile tea.