One of the questions
I’ve been getting asked a lot is, “Can I grow stuff even if I don’t have a lot
of time?” The answer to that is
YES! I don’t have a lot of time either,
to be honest. Most of my time is
taken up with housework, my Etsy shop, writing, and canning. And here’s the
thing about gardening: Getting it all set up is the time-consuming part. The ongoing watering and maintenance is
pretty simple.
I don’t want to give the
impression that I have it all figured out, but at this point, I do feel
experienced enough to give a bit of practical advice to people who are
interested in learning more about gardening. So here are a few simple tips to help you get started:
1.) Just start! I can’t tell
you how many times people have told me that they would love to do all the
gardening and homestead-y things that I do, but they can’t because of XYZ. I’m not saying there won’t be
logistical challenges, or that there is only one way to live self-sufficiently. But most of the excuses that people
give are not valid. Just
start. Start small with just one
pot of your favorite herb. But
start!
2.) Consider the space and lighting. When a seed packet says the plant needs full sun, it means FULL
SUN. Don’t even try to mess with
this or your plants won’t grow properly.
I’ve learned that the hard way.
If your growing space doesn’t get a lot of sun, growing plants like
tomatoes and chamomile simply isn’t going to work for you.
3.) Be realistic about what quantities you will
actually use. For people who have more space to work with, it
can be tempting to grow a ton of your favorite herb or vegetable. But you can easily end up with more
than you know what to do with. If
you have a large family, that might not be as much of a problem. But right now, it’s just me and my
husband. Our storage space is
pretty limited, so I have to be mindful of how I use it.
4.) Don’t worry! If things
don’t go well the first time around, don’t worry about it! I can’t tell you how many basil plant
casualties ensued while I was trying to get this gardening thing figured
out. Learn from your mistakes and
get back in the saddle. You’ll be
so glad you did!
If you have any questions about any of this, or about specific plants, please leave a comment! If I don't know the answer, I will do my best to find it for you! :)
