Tonight is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the start of winter in the northern hemisphere. From here on we enter the dark quarter of the year. If you live in the better hemisphere then you get the lightest quarter. Like other, more famous, observances, Nos Calan Gaeaf is a spirit night. Various supernatural entities are said to stalk the countryside. It's a night to fear the unknown and listen for the sound of dogs hunting their prey in the black. You could also send out children to forage for treats, especially if you feel your house is a little crowded and you could use more room.
Folklore gets garbled Wikipedia provides a nice example here. Talking of one ritual, it says: "The boys were instructed to cut 10 leaves of ivy, throw one away and put the other nine under their pillows. Apparently, this allowed the boys to see the future, and if they touched the ivy then they could see witches while asleep." When I think of ivy I think of Hedera helix, a plant that provides late flowers for bees and certainly offers them a future. However, it's more likely that the ivy is ground ivy, Glechoma hederacea, an entirely different plant. People using Hedera helix may feel regret, though not as much regret as those using Toxicodendron radicans.
How to Play
Six plants fill each row
each column, each box of six
no bloom may repeat
Tap an empty cell
then choose your plant from below
watch the garden grow
Or pick a plant first
then tap the cells where it goes
faster hands plant more
Red borders will warn
when two alike share a line
rethink and replant
Ticked plants rest complete
all six placed in rightful soil
fewer choices left
The clock starts to run
the moment your first plant falls
how swift is your hand?
Select a plant, then tap cells
Two ways to play: Tap an empty cell then pick a plant, or select a plant below then tap cells to place it.
Cover image: Hedera helix by Gae Smurf CC BY-SA via Pl@ntNet
