If you’re an avid lucid dream practitioner then you already know that finding dream herbs can be a mission at times, especially when it comes to those that need to be consumed fresh, like Mexican Terragon.
And consuming any herb while it’s fresh has been known to enhance its potency anyway, so perhaps it’s time you looked into growing your own dream herb garden.
If you’re worried that it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg, don’t despair because it’s actually cheaper to have your own garden, as you’ll be cutting out the need to travel to buy them or purchasing them online and then waiting to have them delivered.
In fact, with your own dream garden you’ll have a wide array of dream herbs to enjoy anytime you like, fresh from the earth in your back (or front) yard. In today’s article we cover all the information you need to start your own dream herb garden at a fraction of the cost it would take to buy them, and this includes tips on how to grow the plants, what to use them for and more. So take notes and start growing!
The herbs you’ll need or want to grow
The following is our pick of favourite herbs to grow on your own, and that’s because they’re the least demanding in terms of maintenance. All they need is a sunny spot indoors and you can enjoy them all year round.
Silene Capensis
Also known as ‘Undlela Zimhlophe’ or White Paths by the Xhosa shaman of South Africa where it originates, the root of this herb contains powerful oneirogenic effects.
It has the ability to produce extremely detailed, vivid and symbolic dreams that you’ll be able to remember completely the following day, while it’s striking appearance means that you can proudly display it as an ornament in your kitchen space.
Silene Capensis is an easy plant to grow and requires moist soil and some sunshine and partial shade in order to thrive, although it can be cultivated in extreme weather conditions as well. It’s a perennial plant which means that you’ll be able to enjoy it for many years to come, even decades. However, it is recommended that you start harvesting the root only from the second year of growing in order to experience best results.
A fascinating fact about this plant is that you’ll never see its aromatic flowers open up during the day, as they only bloom at night, which means that you’ll be able to enjoy its fragrant aroma each night as you drift into a sleep filled with vibrant dreams and lively images.
Mugwort
Mugwort is known or its flavoursome taste and is widely used as a food seasoning, but it also has medicinal properties that range from healing stomach ailments to clearing up skin conditions.
Most importantly this plant tends to be a useful ally in the hands of a skilled lucid dreamer, as it greatly increases the richness of one’s dreams while improving recall afterwards.
To cultivate it, all you need is some moist soil and a lot of sunshine and it’ll grow all year round for you to enjoy. Just be sure to only harvest the leaves when the first flower buds start to appear, and as that happens you might start to notice the bees and birds coming around to enjoy its nectar as much as you do.
Calea Zacatechichi
The Calea Zacatechichi plant originates from Mexico, where its native peoples refer to it as the ‘leaf of god’ for its ability to induce divine dreams and marvellous imagery.
When used in conjunction with a focused mind, one can even experience prophetic dreams where they’re able to predict events, ascertain the source of disease, and even locate long-lost relatives. Although potent, this is a very gentle herb with no side effects and comes highly recommended for first timers.
Calea Zacatechichi is best consumed fresh right before bed time to experience some of the craziest trips ever, and tastes great as a tea brew. Just be sure to flavour it with honey if you’re not able to endure its bitter taste or ground it up and put it into capsules instead. Lastly, this plant is also very easy to grow, requiring very little maintenance time and effort to cultivate, so you’ll enjoy having it as part of your dream garden if you’re a busy person.
Some other sleep herbs that will help you drift off
If you’re embarking on your first trip or trying out a new herb, you might feel nervous or anxious about what’s going to happen, making it difficult to fall asleep. So you’ll need to keep the following sleep aides handy to help you along, and plant them as part of your dream herb garden:
Valerian
Originally from Europe with links to certain parts of Asia, this plant has sweet smelling buds and potent roots that are known to have sedative effects. With just one cup of Valerian root tea, you can say goodbye to your anxiety problems and hello to a deeply relaxing sleep with rich dreams.
Passion Flower
Passion flower also helps to combat anxiety while relaxing the muscles to promote a peaceful sleep that’s filled with oh-so-sweet and vivid dreams.
Tips for Growing your Plants
Here are some tips on how to successfully grow the plants once you’ve got your seeds:
- Grow your dream garden indoors, where it’ll stay protected from extreme weather conditions such as winds, storms and harsh sunlight during the warm summer months.
- Keep your soil moist but not too wet, and avoid letting it get too dry, as that might destroy the plants, especially in the beginning.
- Make sure that your plants have exposure to sunlight and keep them covered most of the time to retain moisture in the soil.
- When watering the seeds, just give them a gentle shower or mist each day instead of pouring them over with water, as that might completely damage them.
- You’ll want to cover your seeds in as little soil as possible, so as to give them enough room to sprout and grow.
- A word of caution; although you can grow these herbs outside, most of them originate from sub-tropical zones and thus need to be protected from freezing weather conditions. So you’ll want to bring them indoors during the chilly winter months if you still want to enjoy them the following year.
How to harvest your dream herbs
When harvesting your herbs, only pick the amount you need to use at that time, as cutting too much will leave you with a wasteful surplus, unless you want to dry and crush them for use as capsules, in which case you’ll have to hang the stems in an airy and dry place before crushing them for use.
Keep in mind that dried herbs can last for up to two years when stored in the refrigerator, but they will lose some of their potency over time and will not be as effective as the fresh variety but it’s a great way to store them for when you’re travelling or to preserve them for the winter time. Now, the safest way to harvest your herbs is to cut a third of the stem at least once every two weeks to keep the plant healthy and encourage new growth.
Conclusion
As you start to reap the benefits of having your own dream garden, you’ll realise just how richer and more lucid your dreams can be when induced by fresh leaves, as opposed to powders, or tinctures and oils.
And as time progresses, some of these plants will start to proliferate, which means that you’ll have enough to even share with friends and family who also want to experience the wonders of lucid dreaming. Here’s to enjoying mind-blowing dreams with your own dream herb garden!
