If I remember correctly – and 100% honestly–, I was really pissed off on the day that I started our first garden. Having spent the spring reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” and “The Permaculture Handbook”, I was ready to move to a more temperate climate, live off-grid (with our whole family in a tiny house if necessary), and become a full-time farmer; but it was summer in Austin… again. And after 2yrs, of what felt like near-apocalyptic heat, I was done. Austin, baby, I love your free-spirited Cali-cowboy vibe: but we are not a match.
Now pair that heat with being a new mother of three, and only being able to spend limited time outdoors with our 5 1/2, 3yr old, and 6 month old boys during the week. I was likely near breakdown status on that fateful Saturday in June. My simmering rage overshadowed all of my usual over-thinking tendencies, and I was determined to grow something!... Immediately! I had been waiting for my bucolic daydream for years, and we didn’t feel any closer to it than when we were living in apartments in Chicago. So screw waiting for the perfect setting! I put the baby down for a nap and fiercely whispered, “I’m going to Home Depot!”
I bought two 18in. pots, some organic soil, herbs, a baby olive tree, and two cherry tomato plants – no cages. I came home, and proceeded to get our new plant babies all tucked into their shady home on the edge of our covered patio. I know what you’re thinking, “Erica… tomatoes in the shade?” What can I say? I saw my sweet, elderly neighbor do it, and it seemed reasonable at the time, given how harsh the sun felt to my midwestern sensibilities. However, my novice gardener mistakes aren’t the point of this story. The major takeaway here is that…
in that rash, frustrated & ill-timed moment, I started a garden.
The conditions were not ideal. I was not where I wanted to be. I didn’t actually know what I was doing. I hadn’t “set an intention,” or spent the morning blissfully meditating, and being in-tune with nature. I was over every damn thing. But that’s what it took to get me to take some action, and get out of my head. I could start growing food right where I was, or miss waste another year waiting for better conditions.
And as I sit here, after 2+ months of staying at home/ social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, all I can think about are all the people who feel cooped-up, cranked-out, pissed-off, and varying degrees of hopeless. These are not ideal conditions. You may not be where you want to be. You might not know what you're doing; but it could be the perfect time to just grow something.
Whether it’s a houseplant, an inexpensive fabric pot or your patio, pick a small thing to nurture… to learn about, and care for. If you have a tenuous history with plants of all kinds, get a cactus (and don’t water it!). In whatever way works best for you, bring something beautiful, and growing into your life. If you need a professional take… here ya go. If you’d like recommendations for easy starter projects outdoors, or low maintenance house plants, drop a comment, and I’ll do my best!