What is holding you back from starting a garden?

What is holding you back from starting a garden? Maybe you want to fill your table and family’s bellies with food you grew yourself, but you’re convinced you have a black thumb. Maybe you know exactly what you want to grow to fill your fridge and pantry, but you’re overwhelmed with the thought of figuring out soil needs, watering schedules, light requirements, fertilizer, and the host of other things a garden might need. 

Let us tell you a little story about our first client. She knew some basics when it came to plants, but there was a lot she didn’t know. She couldn’t name most plants on sight, and without their fruits to tell her what they were, she might not have been able to tell two different plants apart. Many people start at this stage; some know more and some know less. Wherever you are in your gardening abilities, it’s the perfect place to start. 

Even though this client didn’t know everything there was to know about plants or gardening, she still had a desire to start. She reached out to us for some help, and at the end of 2020, we started going to her garden once a month. We would come by to care for the garden—maintenance, nurturing the plants, etc.—but we would also coach her through each step. The goal wasn’t for us to come in and do everything for her, never explaining anything and just doing all the work for her. Each step was explained as we worked, and further care instructions were given until the next time we came by. 

Over time, she learned what each plant was and what kind of care it needed to thrive. She learned how to prepare the soil, how and when to plant the seedlings, how much water they needed, when and how to fertilize; all the basics to care for her garden and do her best to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Now, we hear from her much less. Not because she became disheartened and gave up. Rather, she started from what she did know and went from there. Over time, she learned how to do most things herself. Now, we really only hear from her a few times a year, mostly in regard to pruning advice or how to deal with an insect problem. And even those visits will become less and less frequent as her knowledge, experience, and confidence grow. 

Essentially, the greatest success for us is gradually working ourselves out of a job. Our goal isn’t to make our clients reliant on our advice, physical presence, and assistance for their future gardening ventures. Rather, our aim is to coach and guide you, through every single step if need be, and teach you how to repeat it in the future so you can confidently grow your own garden, adjust the care and conditions to fit each plant, and identify and address problems that arise. However, we can always be reached for advice and coaching, whether we were there to help you start your garden or whether you’ve been gardening for more than 20 years. 

From root to plate, we are dedicated to your success, to teaching and helping you to confidently grow your own beautiful, bountiful garden.