Tobacco and Sage Garden

This particular Ceremonial Garden is in the shape of the Taino Fire Petroglyph and the Garden is dedicated to growing primarily Tobacco and Sage which is used to burn Ceremonially or to put into Ceremonial baths, oils, drinks, medicines and more.  Many of the Tobacco in the garden come up from the naturally self seeding Tobacco of the previous year!  We also save tobacco seed and grow seedlings in the Spring and we also introduce more Indigenous varieties each year.  In this Garden there is the conventional  very large leafed "smoking tobacco" variety which gets very tall, then there is a Huichol variety with Yellow flowers which is small, along with a Hopi tobacco which is also small and very strong, and a variety we added this year which is a large plant with unusual curling leaves which is an Aztec variety.  We also throughout the summer find tobacco plants coming up in various different places around the ceremonial spaces which have self seeded!

On the left is the Aztec tobacco which is very strong, on the right is the milder smoking tobacco.  Touching the leaves one experiences the stickiness of the plant.  At night in particular the flowers release their aroma and the smell is awesome!  The multi flower heads become seed pods which hold thousands upon thousands of tiny tobacco seeds.  The tobacco is a plant that is extremely prolific much like its use globally has been.  

Again the smoking tobacco is pictured on the left, and on the right is a white sage which we grew from seed.  White sage is a challenging seedling to grow because only a small percentage of its seeds germinate and sometimes they germinate very slowly.  We were able to germinate five white sages this year which in appearance and smell are different than the white sage seedlings we get every year at a local herb festival. In all we grow about 20 sage plants.  "Our" seedlings have a lighter and sweeter scent.  One of the beautiful aspects of growing ones own Tobacco and Sage is that one becomes aware of the differences between the varieties and comes to appreciate the range and subtle differences of smells and tastes which grow!  

As Tainos and Paleros it is very important to us that we are able to grow our own tobacco and sage  because we know that it is organic, and we know that it has been grown with Spirit and with positive energy and it has been grown without any mechanization.  Additionally because we grow it and it grows so rapidly and is so abundant with its gifts, we are able to be equally abundant with what we offer the Spirit in terms of the Tobacco and Sage.  This relatively small garden gives us all the Tobacco and Sage that we need for the whole year (and more).   As Tainos we gain understanding and appreciate the growing of this Tobacco because it is not being offered to the Spirit through a "store bought" mentality, but rather we have put our sweat and sacrifice and our appreciation and love into the growing of it!