**This is a picture of one harvest I had last September
My garden has been quite the learning experience for me. It started 5 years ago, and my first two years were a total dud, grown in protein tubs because we were worried about the sage rats and rodents getting in to my veggies. Growing only lettuce, a few onions and tried the tomatoes, but didn’t hardly harvest anything. I also had never been able to keep house plants alive. But in 5 years, my garden has also grown in size 4 times, and will continue to grow in coming years!
I would not call those first year’s failures, because it was all a learning experience. I also stopped looking to google and other gardeners and started just experimenting on my own, finding out what worked and what didn’t in our own soil, location, spacing and the way I worked personally. I found looking to everyone else and trying to figure out what everyone else was doing, was just so overwhelming, too many rules, too many steps, too much extra fluff.
Last year was the first year I started anything indoors, though most things were totally unsuccessful and I ended up buying transplants from a local woman, it was again, just another learning experience.
Last year was also the first year I really actually identified myself as a Gardener and allowed myself to use my garden to be my healing tool, my inspiration, my meditation. Used it as a connection tool and education resource for myself (along with my children that love gardening alongside me and now know plant identification like no other children I know). Now, with the identity of a gardener (a HUGE dream of mine since being a little girl, achieved) I’m so in love with it. It’s part of me. It’s who I am. It keeps me rooted in life and keeps in perspective the things that matter. The rewards are unmet.
This year, I’m started all my peppers and tomatoes inside on my own. I have also extended to an herb garden (started that last year, but had a full-on war with a couple pack rats for a few months that kept taking all my plants; yes. Even those very pungent herbs that are supposed to “deter” rats. HAHA jokes on me! those are smart little buggers and can escape and dodge traps like no other)
Most of my herbs are either pieces of transplants from my family/neighbors or starts I have started on my own from seed inside.
Some of the things I have started inside and have growing and thriving right now, this spring are;
Chamomile, Tarragon, Lettuce, Basil, Cilantro, Tomatoes of a few different varieties, Marjoram, Peppers of a few different varieties, Dill, Echinacea, broccoli, peas and some I know I’m forgetting.
What I want you to see is that, even with two years of almost zero harvest from a garden, keep going. No one starts out an expert (and I’m still not even close to being one) but it’s something I’ve fallen in love with. Not to mention, created a huge sustainable garden to feed my family and save a TON of money from spring until the end of fall, even through the winter with carrots, zucchini and potatoes (we are STILL eating from last fall harvest!) Plus, all the things I was able to can and preserve last fall.
If gardening is something that speaks to you but you say “I don’t have a green thumb” or say “I just can’t grow anything”, keep trying, keep practicing, keep learning, keep connecting and become rooted in it. Identify with it, before it becomes a “success”. Also, don’t compare your “fails” to someone’s “success”. Most likely it took them many, many tries, challenges and their own experimentation to figure out what worked and became a success to them. Also, their success looks different than yours.
Every “failure” I’ve had in my gardening experience has helped me create a better garden, and I’ve learned through every single challenge. What I love, what I do and don’t want to grow, what is worth growing, what harvests best..
Can’t wait to share my tips, my experience and this years garden(s) with you this year!
If you have any specifics on questions or curiosities, Comment below and I’ll answer to the best of my ability!!