The term “goth” signals different things to different people. Architecture admirers may conjure images of pointed arches on churches, medieval castles, and even fanciful cottages of the gothic style, while literary buffs are sure to recall the haunting, gruesome tales of Edgar Allan Poe (a frequent visitor to the Providence Athenaeum), and musicians may hear Bauhaus’ nine-minute 1979 release, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” For those who dig all things earthly and eerie, there’s goth gardening.
Unlike chaos gardens, where all kinds of plants are encouraged to grow wild, or poison paths, which is more of a witch’s formulary or potager, the goth garden focuses on dramatic flowers with dark, velvety, or intricately shaped or veined petals and leaves. Pass by sunny daisies at your local garden center and instead seek varieties where even the names are macabre, such as Black Magic cosmos, Penny Black nemophila, and Dracula celosia. Once the planting is done, continue to layer ambiance with black gravel or dark paver pathways, and embellish the space with ornamental accents like rusted bird cages, sections of moss-covered iron gates, statuary shaped like gargoyles and angels, or broken doll parts.
“Any kind of adornments that can make a plant look a little monstrous are always fun,” begins Nicky Borden, community and
administrative director at Four Buds Floral Studio in Providence. “Whether it’s doll arms or lizard eyes glued to a little chunk of moss on a stake, we love dressing plants up for spooky season.” Last year the Wickenden Street business did a pop-up market at North Burial Ground, a 300-year-old cemetery on Branch Avenue boasting 110 acres and 40,000 gravestones. “We used our most goth plant selections! We also used creepy doll heads to create little dried arrangements with our popular handmade mushroom figurines, and assembled things like ‘cemeterrariums’ with handmade mini tombstones in glass coffins,” says Borden.
Artist, author, and witch Laura Tempest Zakroff grows a mix of both poison (datura, henbane, monkshood) and pretty (foxglove, hollyhock, black petunias) in her Providence garden, which she describes as “a variety of medicinal plants and those that are purely aesthetic,” as well as being a “feast for the senses.” An avid gardener, Zakroff grows herbs for cooking, healing, and those used in spellcraft. A standout bloom in her garden is the Angel’s Trumpet or Brugmansia. “They are among the most toxic of the ornamental plants,” she explains. Part of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), their large pendulous flowers can reach up to 20 inches in length. “Folks may wonder what I ‘do’ with such poisonous plants,” teases Zakroff. “I simply enjoy growing them.”
Early fall is a great time to buy potted flowers and plants at a reduced rate. Let your eye guide you to dark shades of burgundy and scarlet petals, dark foliage, and fearsome fronds. Find stems, statuary, seeds, and more at these places around the state:
Cottage & Garden*, Newport
The Farmer’s Daughter*, Wakefield
The Floral Reserve, Providence
Hilltop Garden Center*, Smithfield
Mapleville Farm, Mapleville
Stamp Farms, Cranston
Veiled Crow**, Warwick
Wildwood Nursery & Garden Center*, East Greenwich
*Statuary **Witch goods
“For a goth garden set in partial shade, some good options are a Postman Joyner Caladium or a Dark Star Alocasia; both are grown for their beautiful foliage and unusual dark petioles (stalks). English ivy is simple to grow in containers and can add a dramatic spilling effect. Try a Mahogany Splendor hibiscus, which is grown for its richly colored foliage with a maple leaf appearance and sturdy stems perfect for bouquets, or a Red Spike amaranth with its dark red feathery plumes. Dahlias are one of my favorite flowers for a dark, moody bouquet. There are several that come in tones ranging from deep crimson to almost black; look for varieties like Thomas Edison, Black Jack, or Kenora Macob. Red Malabar spinach, which is primarily grown as an edible vining plant, has gorgeous red tendrils and spiky black fruit clusters – they are visually interesting as well as delicious! For wet areas, corkscrew willow stays October-creepy all year round!” BensBakery.com
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