Gardening Folklore

 

Many of you may not have grown up into farming or
gardening families where Folklore was the Bible for
how to plant, when to plant or what not to plant but in
my poor farming family many folklore traditions were
held to when it came to gardening.
After I posted the article on the myth about “Peonies and Ants”, I got to thinking about some of the other folklore, myths or old wives tales that I grew up hearing.
I am wondering if any of you have heard some of them
and for those of you how have not maybe they will at least make  you shake your head or bring on a smile.

•  Don’t plant your garden until the oak leaves are the size of  mouse ears.
  Now this one may be a safe reminder.
  
• Bury nails around the roots of hydrangeas to make the blooms blue.
  Was it from nutrients of  the rust?
  
   
•  To keep the crows from eating your corn, kill one and hang it in the field.
  My Granddaddy always did this one.
  
• Always plant your potatoes on Good Friday.
  This one was kept to at extremes and they thought the potatoes would do badly if not planted on that day.
  
• A snowy winter portends a good year of crops.
  It may be a bumper crop season for most of the states then this summer.
  
  
  
• And then Tomatoes should be planted on Memorial day.
  This would be safe after the last frost deadline here of May 18th.
  
• After planting a hill of beans , press the soil with your foot for good luck.
  I think he really did this one to mark where he was planting. LOL!
  
   

•  Never say ‘thank you’ if someone gives you a plant cutting or flowers.
  I have heard this one told to me so many times.
  Do you know how hard it is to not automatically spurt out thank you?
  
• Finding a four leaf clover is good luck.
  I use to spend a lot of time searching for them.I think it was to get us out from under foot.
  
• Hanging horse shoes upside over the door to catch good luck.
  Heaven forbid it should turn around the other way or fall off. 
  
• Never plant vegetables that sound alike together,
  like potato and tomato.
  Oh, I don’t know…
  
• Spit on your hand while chopping wood brings good luck.
  Not to mention the axe doesn’t slip out of your hands as easy.
  
• Planting the Three Sisters: corn, beans and squash or pumpkins.

•  If a bird pecks at your window it is a sign of a death.
  Thank goodness this one is wrong.
  
• Not to mention girls do not go near the kraut or pickles at certain times.
  Sounds like a very good excuse though not to have to check the crocks.
  
• The higher the hornets nest the deeper the snow.
  
• Pounding nails on the northern side of your fruit trees will bring a higher yield.
  
• If two peoples hoes hit together , they will work in the same field next year.
  Grandpa always hit my hoe with his when we were planting and hoeing together.
  
  
  
  
  And what was up with all of these….
  Blackberry winter, Dogwood winter, and Whippoorwill winters?
  Planting in the dark of the moon and in the light of the moon.
  Do you have any old folklores that you remember?

 Happy Gardening,
Lona