How would you quickly describe yourself to others?
I am a wife and a step-mom who is a kind hearted, quick witted goofball with a goal of making everyday full of laughter!
How did you get started with your blog/instagram page/etc?
I had an instagram page for a while but I hardly ever used it. About a year ago I decided that I wanted to start a home garden in efforts to help me and my family lead a healthier lifestyle. I thought that Instagram would be a great outlet to document my journey. Never did I imagine that one small raised bed, that I thought would probably fail, would turn into a passion for growing my own food.
Did you start when you began your transition to live this life style?
Yes, actually I did. I started documenting my journey on instagram just for my benefit really. Then once I started gaining followers and noticed that I was inspiring other’s to also grow their own food, I knew that this was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to inspire others to be more conscious of the food they put in their bodies and the bodies of their families.
Have you always been growing your own food? If not, what sparked your passion?
I have never grown anything successfully before I embarked on my journey! I would try to grow a few flowers here and there but I never took the time to dedicate myself to it. It wasn’t until I started learning about GMO’s and the dangers of pesticides in non-organic foods after watching documentaries like “GMO-OMG” and “Food Inc.” and hours of my own online research, that something inside of me told me that growing my own food was something that I just had to do. I knew that I could no longer leave my family’s health in the hands of someone else.
Have you ever made mistakes or failed doing something? How did you overcome any obstacles?
Absolutely! I was a little over-zealous the first time I started my garden. I packed so many different vegetable into one small bed that I ended up with a jungle! Many of the plants still produced a good amount of fruit but it was difficult to manage so many plants in such a small space. I had 6 tomato plants, 4 zucchini plants, 7-8 baby spinach, 10 carrots, 4 bell pepper plants, and 4 heads of lettuce packed into ONE 8-4 raised bed! Needless to say I have learned my lesson and now understand the space that is needed for everything I grow. I also learned the concept of companion planting the hard way. I know that every day is a learning experience. Sometimes you will fail at growing a certain plant but you learn from your mistakes and keep your chin up. It is worth it!
Have you ever dealt with a person who disregards your life style?I have not so far! Everyone has been really encouraging! There are those that say they could never do what I do because they don’t like to get dirty or they just don’t have the time. Some people just assume because they “killed” a plant at one time or another in the past, that they must have a “brown thumb”. Those are the vary same people who are my target audience. I tell people that I was once just like them! ( I once killed a bamboo desk plant y’all! That is very hard to do! Haha!) But after a little research anyone can do it! If I can be a recovering “brown-Thumb”, so can you! 😉
What are some of your greatest rewards with a lifestyle such as the one you live?
My very first harvest was a bunch of cilantro and two green bell peppers. That night I made a fajitas. While slicing up the bell peppers my husband wanted a sample. After one bit he looked at me and said this was the best tasting bell pepper he has ever eaten. THAT was the first time I made a real commitment to this lifestyle. There is no going back. The fact that I sowed a seed and now my family is eating from something that I grew is the greatest reward I could get.
What tips and tricks would you like to share with other people?If you are interested in starting a home garden, don’t think that you need 10 acres to do so. You can easily have a successful garden even in a small space. There are so many amazing urban gardeners out there that are feeding their families with what they grow on the balcony of their apartments! The sense of accomplishment you will feel after your first harvest will make you wonder why you didn’t start you home garden sooner!
What are some of the other things you would like to have other people understand about living a healthier and self-sufficient life style?
There will be bumps along the road. Pests, birds and seeds that just don’t germinate are just some examples that can make any organic gardener want to pull their hair out. But KEEP TRYING! The reward outweighs all obstacles.
What are your favorite plants to grow in the garden?In the hot Florida sun, peppers seem to be the most successful in my garden. I have been able to grow various types of peppers from Ghost peppers and Habanero peppers to delicious sweet bell peppers.
How would you quickly describe yourself to others?
I have to say I am extremely inspired by this article! After reading that you also killed a desk bamboo as well as I did, then I now know that there is hope for me. To be completely honest, it’s not something that I have really looked into for myself and my family but I believe it is time to make a change so that my family could benefit from a healthier lifestyle. I’m excited to start my own raised bed and after speaking with my husband about your article and now has his full support and we are going to start this journey together. This is not completely foreign to us as we are both from tropical places and me personall hopefully it will bring back some of those memories from my home in the Dominican Republic where we had fruits and vegetables in our backyard and rarely has to visit the grocery store. It’s no wonder sometimes that people live longer in other countries. thank you for being an inspiration and I wish you all of the best in your journey! I will be following you