Ever since I was a small boy, I have planted a garden every year that I can
remember (except during 1988, which our family spent in an apartment in Rochester NY during my training at Eastman Kodak. ’nuff said!)

It started with my mom’s inspiration and instruction. Every year I expanded the
space… my oldest brother Jim chipped in over time and I “got the
bug!” I had a larger plot on Tombigbee Street in Florence Alabama during
college, and in Birmingham after I married Bridget, then in California during
my early Kodak years, and finally in Georgia where we settled down.

We moved into our current home in 2007 and I “leaned into” a permanent
plot… and it has been quite the journey. This year, I retired… and decided
to become a student of “gardening well.” Some friends gifted me a
great how-to book on gardening well… what a learning season it’s been. I discovered I’ve been doing it all wrong!

Traditionally, in early Spring when things warmed up and dried out a bit, I hauled out my tiller and pulverized the entire plot, then I created a new
layout of rows and paths. This also pulverized the earthworms, collapsed all the capillaries and mixed up the natural layers (causing my dirt to dry into a hard crust.)

A Fresh Start

Last year I implemented a new approach. I loosened the soil in the beds with a deep garden fork but didn’t turn it. I covered the paths with food grade PVC sheeting (no weeds and no compaction from walking in the beds.) It made a huge difference in plant growth and yield.

After doing a little simple math I came to the realization that the Big Box Store single plant seedlings were becoming anything but cost effective. I understand business and commerce and profitability, but discovered that moving to seeds and grow lights worked just fine! My entire harvest came from seeds last year, for the first time ever. Thanks for inspiring me, N.C.