A Little Goes A Long Way

By: Nature + Nurture

Summer Garden 2024

Starting a garden can feel overwhelming. There are so many beautiful and well-established gardens out there, and it’s easy to wonder where to begin. But everyone starts somewhere. Even the most beautiful gardens were once just a seed.

My journey began with a few pots of plants from a big-box store, each one an experiment in growing something new. Over time, those pots multiplied, and the desire for more space led me to create my first “raised bed” using bricks we already had. The following year, my husband helped me till a small section of our backyard, adding more room for in-ground gardening. It was the snowball effect. I kept learning, expanding, and refining my approach. I spent countless hours watching gardening tutorials on YouTube and combing through books for inspiration. Each season was a mix of trial and error, but with each mistake came a better understanding of how to nurture plants.

Now, eight years later, I have a 20x80 ft garden with designated areas for annuals, perennials, and vegetables. But even with all this experience, I’m still facing new challenges. Gardening keeps me on my toes, and there’s always more to learn. It’s become an outlet for creative expression and a way to bring my ideas to life through nature.

While the beauty of the garden initially drew me in, the true reward has been witnessing how wildlife has responded. What was once a grassy plot of land is now flourishing with birds, insects, and pollinators who make their home here. I’ve learned to observe the creatures just as much as my plants, and the relationship between them is one my favorite parts of gardening. I make sure to plant extra for those creatures, because gardening is as much about sharing as it is about growing.

As the naturalist Douglas W. Tallamy said, “If everyone with a lawn planted native plants, it would provide more habitat than all of the national parks put together.” It’s a powerful reminder of how even small, personal gardens can have a huge impact on the environment.

Where it all began. Summer Garden 2016