Old Wives' Lore for Gardeners

Old Wives' Lore for Gardeners (1976) by Maureen & Bridget Boland

Entertaining little book with a few good gems.

"We learned by trial and a great deal of error what could be grown there, and from studying books that recommended plants that would flourish in damp shade. So many of these were poisonous that we once contemplated going into business as market gardeners to supply would-be murderers who hesitated to sign chemists' registers for their needs."

"Every Old Wife will tell you to sow seed and to transplant only with a waxing, never a waning moon."

"The ash has always been considered to have magical properties. Whatever its virtues for witches and warlocks, honest Old Wives would have you never plant it in the garden. They say that it is so greedy it takes all the good out of the soil for many yards around it."

On small creatures in the garden: "If it moves slowly enough, step on it; if it doesn't, leave it - it will probably kill something else."