My “Practical Magic” inspired garden and how to create one

September is one of my favorite months. Okay yes I know, Summer break is over and school starts again. And no, I don’t particularly enjoy all the chaos and stress that accompanies all of that… But, there is a palpable shift in nature that makes me want to curl up and get cozy.  In addition, I want to spend most of my time in the garden basking in the glorious September light, marveling at all the beauty of a lush garden. In September, I often have this deep need for grounding and what better way to do that than in the garden and nature?!

Better yet, reading my favorite Alice Hoffman novel “Practical Magic” while soaking up the nourishing September light in my garden. And let’s not forget a warm cup of tea, made from fresh garden herbs. A garden that has been inspired by this beautiful and enchanting story of two sisters and eccentric aunts that happen to be witches.

Okay, let’s take a trip down memory lane… It was 1998 and I was 12 years old when Alice Hoffman’s book, “Practical Magic”,  was turned into a movie starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the main characters. I had not read the book back then because well, the world looked a lot different and you couldn’t just snap your fingers and order everything online like we do today. However, once I could get my hands on the book, I devoured it in a matter of hours.

By now, I’ve nearly read all of Alice Hoffman’s novels and she is by far my favorite storyteller. Her books are incredibly atmospheric, magical, poetic, thoughtful and deeply human.

I saw the movie in the theater when it first came out and I was completely and utterly mesmerized. The story, aesthetics, actors, music (this is also when I fell in love with Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell), special effects and the location, left me in awe. My world had just gotten bigger as my curiosity was sparked.

Enchanted living

I remember feeling so inspired and enchanted by this movie and it left an impression on me that has lasted to this day. Though I was only 12 years old, I decided right then and there, that someday I would have a house and a garden inspired by this beautiful movie.

I would:

“always throw spilled salt over my left shoulder, keep rosemary by my garden gate, add pepper to my mashed potatoes, plant roses and lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever I can”.

A house and garden that aren’t necessarily separate but rather, melt into one. There’s a soft transition between the two. Lots of natural materials and elements in the house such as floral- and bird paintings and wallpaper, a Virginia Creeper or Wisteria growing on the façade of the house, open windows and lots of vases filled with flowers, a kitchen stacked with food and fruit bowls spilling over with seasonal fruit…

A greenhouse connected to the house where herbs are dried. A garden filled with flowers, herbs and a lush vegetable garden separated from the rest of the garden by a white picket fence. In addition, the garden is filled with cozy nooks, comfortable chairs and white romantic tables.

And animals are always welcome! They all play their part in this intricate ecosystem.

That, to me, is enchanted living!

A lot of Alice Hoffman’s novels, including the Practical Magic movie, are located in New England. In the movie, the Victorian house is near the ocean and is surrounded by a lush, romantic garden. It’s a garden bursting with life and never too neat. In many ways, it resembles a cottage garden. Both beautiful and functional. A thriving safe haven for humans and animals alike.

Of course creating a garden like this, does not happen overnight. It has been, and continues to be an ongoing process. Gardens are living and breathing things, they’re not static and they continuously evolve and adapt to an everchanging climate. Gardening is a dance with nature, never an attempt to dominate it. You build a connection and cultivate a deep respect for nature and to this piece of earth you are caring for. In many ways, becoming a gardener has turned me into a humbler person and a far better listener… Yes, this beautiful planet we live on, has a lot to say. It often whispers and nudges us in subtle ways. If we care to listen that is.

Create your own enchanted garden

Have you been dreaming about becoming a gardener? Or maybe you already are a gardener but would like to create a more romantic and enchanted garden?

Okay let’s go then!

Grab your boots, hat and floral gardening gloves and let’s walk through the garden. Don’t forget to put lipstick on first! For good luck and style of course. Yes, gardening is chic! I addition,  grab your gardening journal and favorite pen first. Don’t have one yet? You’ll need one to take notes throughout the year. This will help you a lot on your journey of creating an enchanted garden.

Soil

Before you decide on planting anything, make sure you get to know your soil first. What type of soil is it? Is it heavy clay soil that tends to hold a lot of water? Or is it sandy and does it easily slip through your fingers when you try to grab it? If it’s sandy, it has less nutrients in it and dries up easily. This means you’ll need to give it some love by adding compost and organic fertilizer. I have sandy soil and every few years in March, I add a layer of compost to add more organic matter to the soil. If the soil is heavy, you’ll have to make it more light and airy otherwise the plants’ roots will become more vulnerable to rotting. You could also work with raised beds like I do.

Sun

Start paying attention to where the Sun rises and where it sets. Which part of the garden gets the most light? Which parts have lots of shade for most of the day? Because planting sun loving plants and herbs in the shade will result in heartache since they will either die or never reach their full beauty and potential ( a lot like us if we’re not in the right environment and don’t get our needs met).

Inventory & observation

Keep a plant, tree and shrub inventory. Write it down in you gardening journal and pay attention for at least an entire year. See how they do throughout the seasons and whether you would love to keep them or not. Few plants and trees stay green throughout the seasons, depending on where you live. Most bloom for a few weeks or even days. But once you build a connection with your garden, you’ll know how to create a tapestry of beautiful plants and flowers that will each take turn blooming. The bigger the variety of plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, herbs, bulbs… the more vibrant it will look and the healthier it will be.

Patience

You will need to be patient with yourself and with your garden. If you don’t have any, trust me, becoming a gardener will teach you how to become more patient. There is no rushing nature. Remember what I said earlier, gardening is like a dance. You flow with life around you, if you try to dominate it, you’re bound to be frustrated. Lean in to the slowness, allow yourself to soften and pay attention.

To be a gardener is to be an artist, give yourself time to unfold that part of you. It will give you so much, I promise. It’s like creating a painting and your garden is like your canvas. It’s in the creation that you will find most joy. That is, if you allow yourself to be light and joyful about it. If you try to aim for perfection or try to prove yourself in some way, it will only frustrate and overwhelm you.

And remember, perfection is an illusion. What is perfect, is perceived entirely different by each individual. Magic lies in the imperfection of it all. Nature knows this and has known this all along. We humans just have forgotten about this.

Are you ready?

Good luck dear friend!

Love,

Wendy

The beautiful Practical Magic images used in this blog post are from the blog Hooked on Houses. The other images are from my own garden.