Finding my Green Thumb

Gardening has never come natural to me. I used to envision this prosperous, bountiful creation that just never seemed to transpire. I would buy some seeds, find a sunny area and do just as we are taught as kids, “Dig a little hole, bury the seed, pour some water and wallah!” Days went by and nothing. Discouraged, I would buy already sprouted seeds and resort to only transplanting with the hopes of success. Even then, I found myself forgetting to water the garden, pick the weeds and prune.

After seasons of failure at a home garden, I finally accepted and took ownership of what I was lacking. I couldn’t blame it on the soil, the location or even the seeds. In fact, I couldn’t even blame it on lack of experience or knowledge. There are plenty of resources to grow even the most basic of gardens. My achilles heel all along was “commitment”. How do I know that my green thumb was hiding behind this simple principle?

In 2014, I had just completed my program to become a certified Holistic Health Coach. It was important to truly embody everything I had learned about holistic living. Within a few months, I had committed to the journey of becoming a yoga instructor, seeing clients as a health coach, managing a restaurant and returning to my seasonal job as a white water raft guide. If I hadn’t already taken on enough, I decided to work on a CSA farm. One day a week, I would dedicate a few hours to working in the fields or green house of a local farm. In exchange for my work, I received a share of fresh harvested produce.

After three seasons on the farm, I officially left to carry on with other life ambitions. The final two seasons was spent in the greenhouse under the guidance of my “greenhouse guru”. He had been a master in his field for decades and could sprout just about anything. I observed the care and attention he gave to each and every plant. His dedication and attention to detail were some of the characteristics I highly regarded.

He had configured exact mathematical measurements for the best starter and planting soil. A good level of pH balance and fertility is needed for a seedling to germinate and thrive. Breaking of dirt or sifting is important. Using a spray bottle with water can make the difference versus over-pouring water out of a spout or cup. If you went with the method of planting multiple seeds per spot in case some fail to germinate, you will have to decide which plant is strongest and healthiest to keep. Leaves that are yellowing or infested with bug damage need to be trimmed and in a particular way. Get ready to have a plan of action to protect your plants from predators.

I could go on about what it truly takes to even get a garden started. Three hours of my time each week is nothing compared to how much cumulative hours it takes to keep a small community garden producing a bounty of harvest. When I left the farm to focus on other life ambitions, buying produce became a way of life for me again. I referred to the “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15″ list when buying all organic wasn’t financially an option. It had become clear that I had been swept into a life of busyness & over scheduling. The bounty I longed to cultivate on my own seemed out of reach and nearly impossible.

Was my lack of success because I relied heavily on continued guidance? No. I had all the knowledge, the experience and the ability to research what I did not know. My green thumb was hiding in a place of denial. My home garden always fell waist side in comparison to other priorities. I had never truly committed to the process of maintaining a garden.

I accepted that gardening would take the back seat until I could fully commit the time and energy. With the onset of COVID-19, I saw a window of opportunity. At the time, I was multitasking managing a yoga studio, teaching yoga and waitressing. I found myself on the brink of exhaustion and feeling burnt out. I had already been at a crossroads weeks earlier about transitioning out of the restaurant industry and fully committing to my role at the yoga studio. When the layoffs happened at the restaurant, a feeling of relief overcame me.

By chance, the universe had nudged me to continue on my true path. The vision of the prosperous, bountiful garden wasn’t far fetched after all. The years of trial and error, experience on the farm and an ultimate acceptance of accountability was the perfect recipe for achieving my goals. I was no longer sleeping past sunrise because I had closed the restaurant at 1am that morning. Instead, I was able to cultivate the sleep schedule I desired in order to optimize my work outdoors. Watering the plants during those crucial hours in the wee morning became possible. Squatting in the garden throughout the week has contributed to deeper flexibility within my body, allowing my yoga practice to flourish. Taking more time to tend to the garden has allowed a deeper sense of inner peace to occur. The time outside, immersed in nature brings much clarity during these times of uncertainty.

The majority of all my seedlings have sprouted and continue the thrive today. Downloading the app, “Seed to Spoon” helped me determine incredibly accurate planting dates based off of exact GPS. The app as all kinds of resources to help you stay on top of your garden’s health:

• Personalized Planting Dates for 100+ Foods
• Identify and Manage Pests Organically
• Grow For Your Health
• Recipes Straight from the Garden
• Companion Planting Made Easy
• Videos + Updates Readily Available

The app made it much easier to create a plan, guidelines and deadlines. An overwhelming amount of weeds is no longer an issue because I’m tending the garden regularly. Embracing the surrender to “commitment” has brought about a renewed sense of empowerment.

Humans are resilient and encompass problem-solving skills. A hiccup in mother nature allowed me to revisit past ambitions. I was led to put my hands back in the dirt and remember the importance of the relationship between us & earth. When we stop ignoring the needs of our planet, life thrives. When engulfed in busyness, it’s easy to forget to nurture yourself as nature intended.

If you are intimidated to start the journey to growing your own food, you are not alone! Research, ask experts you know for advice and approach the journey with an open mind and heart. If you fail, dust the dirt off your shoulder and don’t lose hope. Happy gardening and wishing you the most success!