By Lily Bourne
Sitting in my backyard bored out of my mind one day this summer, I decided to start a new project. One trip to Home Depot, a YouTube video tutorial, and some drilling later, an 8-foot by 4-foot rectangle of wood lay completed. After lining the bottom with cardboard and hauling 30 cubic feet of soil into the bed, the garden was ready. Over the summer, I planted tomatoes, basil, peppers, cucumbers, flowers, bush beans, and even a pumpkin seed. As the leaves began to change, the plants flourished with varying success. The cucumbers, basil, and flowers were bountiful, providing delicious food straight to my kitchen. The peppers, not so much. Surprisingly, I was even able to grow a small pumpkin!
Watching the garden grow from nothing to an overfilled, green bed of plants provided a satisfaction beyond what I expected. There’s something so special about going out to see new growth in a sprout that started from a tiny little seed. Although the hobby is definitely a financial commitment to start out, seeds and seedlings aren’t actually that expensive and if you use the same bed for long enough, you can actually save money in the long run! Gardening is also a great way to get outside and learn about the anatomy of plants since you will be faced with deciding where the optimal growing spot is, which plants to place together, and how to troubleshoot possible problems such as stunted growth and pest management. If you’re looking for a satisfying and rewarding hobby that you can stick with for the rest of your life, give gardening a try!
