Let’s take a walk down a spooky garden path, gardeners, and find out which mystical, magical plants are connected to Halloween. Years ago, when we were in Scotland and visited Skara Brea, there was a long path leading to the site, with markers along the way to indicate how far back in time our walk was taking us. So, too, with Halloween, and the plants we meet along the way are taking us back, back to very early gardeners.
Our walk begins in the misty times of the Celts, who celebrated the festival of Samhain: the time when the end of the harvest marked the end of one year, and the beginning of another. While it was a time of celebration because the harvest work was done, it was also a time when those who had gone before could return and play tricks on those left behind! (I would bet that some were gardeners who came back to finish off some garden work!)
Careful now, as we walk ahead in time into beautiful Ireland; be on the lookout for Stingy Jack as we talk about our first Halloween plant, the pumpkin. Long, long ago in the Emerald Isle, Jack was a bit of a trouble-maker, and liked nothing better than to play jokes on the devil. Because of his shenanigans, when Jack died neither Heaven or Hell wanted him, so his destiny was to roam the earth with nothing more than a little glowing coal. Jack was resourceful and hollowed out a turnip (our second Halloween plant!) to use as a lantern for the coal, and thus began a Halloween tradition. When the Irish began to come to America, where pumpkins were common, they began to use pumpkins instead of turnips for Stingy Jack’s lantern to ward off frightening spirits. So, we have our “jack-o-lantern!"
Oh, pause for a moment… do you hear Pomona calling from the mists? Pomona is the Roman goddess of trees and fruits, and her gardening presence became part of Halloween when the Celts were defeated by the Romans. Pomona’s symbol is the apple, and the apple is the third plant of Halloween. More than just delicious for autumn pies, the apple has many mysterious qualities. Did you know that long ago, apple peels were used to tell magical things? The length of an apple peel could tell how long a life will be, and the shape of the peel could tell about the quality of that life. Did you want to stop on our walk to bob for apples? This game began in Victorian times, and managing to snag a bobbing apple meant that the “bobber” would have good luck! If you were a young lady willing to risk your hair-do and bob for apples, and you bit into one, you could start making out your guest list because legend said you would be the first to marry!
As we walk the Halloween garden path, do you see other “Halloween” plants? Japanese blood grass... Chinese lantern that looks like little glowing lanterns… scary spider plants…. various members of the “nightshade” family… garlic to scare away those toothy troublemakers… ivy for good luck… the list goes on, boo! And here’s a gardening factoid — there are over 500 plants, mostly tropical, that depend on bats to pollinate their flowers!
It’s amazing, isn’t it, how plants play such a major role in various festivals and holidays through history. It makes very interesting reading and education for us!
The next meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society is our “members and invited guests only” AGM. It marks the end of the gardener’s year for us, and is the time we look ahead! Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca to see what’s coming up! Have a great week!
