Cultivating a Garden to Save Money and Foster Community Ties

For years, I struggled to keep houseplants alive, leading me to believe I lacked any gardening skill. That perception shifted when my family of three relocated to our first home in Decatur, Georgia, three years ago. For the first time, I had a yard to care for and the potential space for a garden, yet I was unsure where to begin.

Gradually, my interest in gardening and landscaping began to grow. I entertained the idea of cultivating our own food for the first time, but the vast amount of information and my historical failures left me feeling apprehensive. Nonetheless, as grocery prices soared, I thought even a small collection of home-grown vegetables could alleviate some of our financial burdens.

A Simple Push Forward

A friend's advice eased my initial trepidation about gardening. "Just plant it and see what happens," she encouraged, helping me realize that gardening didn't require perfection but perseverance and learning from mistakes. With this support, I ventured to build my first raised garden bed using wood planks and a few screws in the spring of 2022.

To kickstart my gardening journey, I attended an hour-long class at the Wylde Center in Atlanta. The non-profit organization taught us how to craft small greenhouses from milk jugs and prepared us with insights into the importance of nutrient-rich soil for healthy seedling growth.

In the class, I planted seeds for basil, tomatillo, and eggplant. Using similar methods at home, I initiated tomatoes, corn, and lettuce cultivation. Positioned on my sunny porch, these young plants thrived with minimal intervention. Thrill filled me as I watched nature take charge.

Learning Through Mistakes

My inaugural year was riddled with learning curves. Unaware that tomatoes needed pruning to produce more fruit, mine became overgrown and bore little yield. A post-season deep dive into online resources and videos educated me on appropriate techniques for better future growth. I also mistimed the lettuce harvest, resulting in bitter leaves. Despite ease in growing eggplants and tomatillos, they weren't staples in our cuisine, underscoring the importance of focusing on family-favored produce.

By the next spring, my confidence in gardening had blossomed. The desire to expand was strong, leading to the purchase of two pre-made raised beds for my sun-soaked front yard. This time, I cultivated okra, Roma tomatoes, habanero peppers, and added blooms to attract pollinators. Additionally, I initiated fruit-bearing plants like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and planted pear and fig trees. The experience of berry picking with my son brought immense joy. Sharing our bounty of okra and tomatoes with neighbors added to that satisfaction.

Expanding Horizons

This year, my ambitions have grown. Plans include doubling the number of raised garden beds to four and introducing a small flower garden with echinacea, anise hyssop, and feverfew. Eagerly, I'm starting more plants from seeds, using cold stratification in my fridge for the first time. Beyond vegetables, I'm adding more fruit bushes to pursue the dream of a backyard food forest that nourishes both our family and neighbors.

What began as a cost-saving strategy has evolved into a rewarding hobby. With newfound gardening skills, who knows? Perhaps I'll even master the art of keeping houseplants alive.