Gardening by the Moon Spring 2017

It's that time of year again - time to start thinking about planting our gardens. Planting according to the cycles of the Moon helps to ensure our flowers are full and gorgeous and our gardens are healthy and abundant.

The energy for growth begins with the New Moon, increases as we go through the Crescent and First Quarter Moon, and then peaks at the Full Moon.   The actual day of the New Moon is still dark - there is no light yet, so its best to wait a couple of days before you start planting.

The basic rule of thumb is - start planting crops, flowers and vegetables that bear fruit above the ground a few days after the New Moon and right up until the Full Moon to get the healthiest vegetables, the biggest and most colourful flowers and the juiciest fruit. The days from the Full Moon to the next New Moon - when the Moon is decreasing in light- is best to plant bulbs or vegetables that bear fruit under the ground.   It's also best to do weeding when the Moon is decreasing in light. It's also a great time to mow the lawn so it grows more slowly - not to mention your own hair if you like to go long times between haircuts!

For a little extra growing oomph, try to plant under the most fertile signs of the Moon, which are Taurus and Cancer, and then also the other water signs and earth signs (Virgo not as much).

The planting season typically starts with the New Moon in fertile Taurus which falls on Wednesday April 26th in 2017, and the two weeks following it are the best time to plant. 

So, from April 26th through to the days just past the Full moon on May 10th are the most fertile planting days of the season.

As I said before, you don't want to plant right on a New Moon, as there is still not enough light yet. You need to wait at least a couple of days to get the most growing oomph.  I would probably start on Sunday April 30th when the Moon is in fertile Cancer, and there is more light and growing energy from the Moon. The morning of May 1st is good too. 

Water signs and earth signs are the most fertile signs of the moon, Air signs such as Libra are not the most fertile signs, but it is the sign that rules beauty!  It can be a good time to plant flowers when you want big gorgeous blossoms, or for plants that you want to be extraordinarily beautiful. The Moon is in Libra on May 6th, 7th and 8th.

You've got until May 10th to plant, when the Moon's light comes to its peak at the Full Moon.  The few days surrounding the Full Moon are okay too,  but once it starts to wane and lose its light after it peaks at the Full Moon, then there's no more energy for the plants to bear juicy fruit or grow big flowers or be hearty and strong.  May 11th and 12th are fine too as the Moon is still in its Full Moon phase.

Some astrologers say that the few days just before the Full Moon are the best, since this is when the Moon has its most light, and this is when there is more groundwater available for the plants to use and to grow.   I've done it, and the plants do very well, but I also like to plant on the most fertile days as well when the Moon is in an earth sign or a water sign.

Here are pics of flowers I planted two springs ago on my balcony, about a week after the New Moon in Taurus.

And they did quite well. 

The impatiens really did well.  So vibrant!

Happy Planting!