My gardening story began completely by accident. Have you ever discovered something so unexpectedly that you never saw it coming?
I was about to become an empty-nester, and I was dreading it. My youngest was getting ready to leave for college, and I swear I spent most of his senior year crying just thinking about it.
Little did I know I was about to stumble into a hobby that couldn't have come at a better time.
So, how did it happen?
We live on nearly five acres in the middle of the city, although you'd never know it. Our property is heavily wooded, our driveway is tucked away, and most people don't even realize there's a house back here.Beautiful? Absolutely. Great for growing grass? Not so much.
Along the side of our house is a pretty red brick walkway bordered by a narrow strip of grass that simply refused to grow. A few years ago, I decided to plant five or six hostas there. Nothing fancy.Then one spring, I thought, Hmm... maybe I'll add a few more.
Off to Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok I went, researching everything I could about shade gardening. I had no idea how many beautiful plants could thrive without much sunlight, and suddenly that little patch of ground had so much potential. What started as a simple search for a few more hostas quickly turned into hours of looking at garden photos, collecting ideas, and imagining what I could create.
And that was it. I was hooked! Before I knew it, I'd tripled the number of plants in that little garden. Then I started eyeing the pretty rock wall behind it, imagining how beautiful it would look with hostas spilling over the edges. One thing led to another, and suddenly I was spending weeks clearing trees and dreaming up new garden beds. All because I thought I'd add a few more hostas!
Looking back, I still can't believe how something so simple turned into something I love so much. What started with a few hostas gave me something exciting to focus on during a time when I was struggling with the thought of becoming an empty-nester. I certainly didn't set out to become a gardener, but sometimes the best things in life are the ones we never see coming.
I'm certainly not a master gardener, and I don't pretend to have all the answers. I'm simply someone who discovered a new hobby I loved and I want to share what I'm learning along the way. I'll share my successes, my failures, and probably a few things that make you wonder what on earth I was thinking! And when I screw something up, I'll own it. 😉 I'd love for you to follow along and share your gardening stories, too. The successes, the failures, and everything in between. If you're thinking about starting your own garden, you might enjoy my article, Starting a Cut Flower Garden from Seed. It's a great place to begin!
In Plants We Trust 🌿,
Jen
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