This time last year…

… I wasn’t feeling so great about my life. COVID-19 made it impossible for me to keep doing my job, I didn’t know when I’d see my family again and social distancing meant I couldn’t even hug my friends on my birthday.

Making the best of it: April 4, 2020. A socially distanced hike for my birthday.

I had lost my job, my identity as a travel writer, and all hope of a successful year. I’m someone who can easily slip into a sullen state, so with all my newfound free time, I dug into my garden, literally. I planted so many seeds and transplants that I had to find new spaces to garden.

The “back acre” as I call it, where we grew a three sisters garden last spring/summer

I planted, amended soil, fought off stinky squash bugs and harvested week after week of produce I had grown myself (#freshfoodfriday). I even helped my friends start pandemic plots of their own. I spent so much time in my garden that I began to realize how much I actually had learned since growing my first herbs and greens on our balcony in Atlanta.

Spring 2016: Hooch was so proud of his herb garden (that Home Depot Bucket was our first worm bin)

This year, we planted so many greens, herbs, tomatoes, flowers, squash, pumpkins and more that I’m still eating salsa and pumpkin puree from our garden. I even began coaching others through their growing problems as a professional AND I started designing and installing new gardens all around Boise.

I'm so excited to see this fully grown this summer!

This time last year, I had lost my identity, and most notably, my hope. I went into my garden without knowing what I would find, but hopeful that I could make something out of nothing. This one year has taught me the power of transformation in a way I wasn’t expecting. My garden helped me regain my confidence, and so much more.

This weekend, I celebrated my 30th birthday. I spent the morning in my garden, stopped at the Boise Farmers Market for my drive-thru order and picked up flats of plants for clients from Next Generation Organics. In the afternoon, we went to Petite 4 for a special small-group brunch with my friends. Throughout that entire day, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I have my garden to thank for that.

A 30-year-old who is exactly where she’s supposed to be

I started my business to help others find their confidence in the garden. I hope that if you’re in a place where you’d like to do that this spring, you’ll give me a call.