There are many reasons people might want to start a garden at home this summer, whether it’s a desire to become more self-employed, save a few dollars on grocery bills, improve health or the environment, or just for the purpose of performing, that comes with growing something from the ground up.
Like many people, I have spent a lot of time at home in the past year and a half. In between days typing on my keyboard in my makeshift home office, I spent most of the sunny days in my south-facing backyard.
While soaking up a few rays with a piña colada in hand and listening to my favorite songs is a great pastime, I needed a project to distract myself from the craziness of the world. Gardening seemed like a pretty good way to do this while getting some fresh air and sunshine.
Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks that way. According to an article in the National Post, more than half of Canadians developed green fingers during the pandemic, and that trend doesn’t seem to be on the downside.
There are many reasons people might want to start a garden at home this summer, whether it’s a desire to become more self-employed, save a few dollars on grocery bills, improve health or the environment, or just for the purpose of performing, that comes with growing something from the ground up.
For me it was all up.
I have to admit, I don’t have a very good track record of keeping houseplants alive and more than a few succulents have died while taking care of me. But I hoped that this summer I could redeem myself and claim the title of master gardener.
And so began my gardening adventure with a little tomato plant called Tiny Tim.
I picked up Tiny Tim at a flea market along with a few other plants, including a jalapeño and pepper plant. I didn’t name the plant Tiny Tim – the nickname was written in black marker on the side of the red Solo mug it was in when I picked it up. With a dozen bags of earth, a garden bed set from a local garden center, a pair of gloves, and a spade in hand, I gave Tiny Tim a new home and a drink of water.
I didn’t think there would be more than a few plants in my garden, but when I got the garden fever, I soon started growing my own vegetable patch with leftovers from my kitchen. Some of the experimental kitchen scrap plants turned out to be total disaster, but some of them survived the process, including some cabbage, lettuce, and celery plants. They welcomed their new summer house in a friendly manner.
With renewed optimism, I dug my fingers deeper into the earth and tended to my plants. While I may not be the next Monty Don (a celebrated British gardener), I feel like I’ve got one step closer to mastering my own green space this summer.
