How Much Do You Need to Know Before You Can Start Growing Organic Food?
GUEST POST BY NICOLA CHATHAM
*Note: This post is surprisingly not just about growing food.
“Begin with the end in mind” is something I’ve heard said a lot in business. “Know what it is you want, and then reverse engineer your way back from there.”
A part of me loves this idea. Adores the simplicity and logic of figuring out what it is you want to create, then working backwards to achieve that goal.
But another part of me has experienced that notion as a half-truth. The artist, writer and gardener in me knows it doesn’t lead to true expression, innovation and learning if you are always thinking you have to know the exact end result before beginning.
My worst paintings are the ones where I have a pre-conceived picture in my mind’s eye of how I want it to look. There’s no life in them. While they may appear ok to a viewer, they are boring to me. Not fun to make. No sense of discovery.
It’s the same with gardening. How on earth are you supposed to perfectly plan your first garden? When you don’t even know if cucumbers grow on vines or bushes. Or how long your wet season will be. Or what grows easily in your region.
You don’t yet know what will practically grow itself, because the best time-saving and tastiest veggies aren’t typically available in the grocery store.
When a brush mark doesn’t go as planned, it can be agony if you’re aiming for a photo-realist painting. When you know the exact content of a blog post before you begin, where’s the joy in writing? When you’re attached to growing olives (as I am) in a region that’s more suited to pawpaw, the game of gardening becomes a life lesson in letting go of attachment and a spiritual practice of acceptance and adventure.
I suggest you come with a vague idea of what you want in a garden, in a life, in a painting or a chapter, but don’t fill in the gaps until you begin the process of creating. Thinking you can completely plan your way to an accomplished artwork, titillating article or abundant organic garden has a tendency to lure us into procrastination, with an undercurrent of desperate ‘I can’t do this, it’s too hard’ thinking every time.
We like to think we are in control in life. We are used to getting refunds when things we buy don’t work. We are used to being able to look up an instruction manual, call a help desk, Google the answer.
Creating, gardening, and life, aren’t like that. We are collaborators with the unknown. The unexpected. The living, changing seasons, creatures, and ebb and flow of nature. We are not in control. We can’t have everything we want.
But we can have a whole lot more than we have right now! If we put our seeds in the ground, set up a watering system, have fun, play and see what happens. Some paintings, or should I say plantings, will be magnificent. Some will be duds. But you can’t get to the masterpieces without the junk heap. You can’t find the perennials that will feed your for years to come if you don’t stick them in the ground. You can’t have everything grow all at once, but you can have more growing than what you have now.
You don’t need to know how many lettuces you will eat in a season, or how to overcome every pest, or the exact nutrient each plant needs. Don’t worry about getting it all picture perfect on paper or planned out exactly in your mind’s eye. Go outside and start. The more you start, the more success you will create. No matter what your creative dreams are.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to pop them in the comments section below!
Want to learn how to grow your own organic veggies? Go here and check out The Abundant Veggie Patch System. Enrollment is open now!
Author bio: Nicola Chatham is an organic gardening coach and permaculture designer. She helps people who are busy or recovering from illness set up low-maintenance, organic gardens that produce healthy and delicious food with minimum time and effort. Sign up for her free weekly newsletter ‘Sprout!’ here.
Twitter: @NicolaChatham
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SproutCommunity
Positive affirmation for the day: I feel safe knowing that my life is part of the Universe’s magnificent plan.
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POSTED IN: gardening, growing own food, Nicola Chatham, organic food
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I love gardening, thank you very much for the article. I have a massive problem with possums who last week in one night ate my entire kale crop and parsley bushes – they were all being cultivated for my juices. I have tried everything to get rid of them but they keep coming back and eating my garden. so disappointing when we put in so much effort.
Hi Shannah! Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that about the possums.
They can be SO frustrating when you’re just getting ready to harvest. Unfortunately the only way I’ve found/seen to really keep them off your crops is the use ‘exclusion’ methods such as building a full enclosure around your veggie garden with netting, fencing wire or even shade cloth. I have seen some very beautiful enclosures, they don’t have to be ugly, but it does take some planning and implementation. I’d love to attach a photo but alas I can’t in the comments feed. Maybe I’ll post it in my newsletter Sprout soon…
Otherwise you may like to make smaller, removable wire ‘cages’ that rest on the edging of your beds and cover the crops. You could also even try putting in some wooden stakes in the corners of the bed and draping shade (better in summer than winter when you want all the sun you can get) or netting over the stakes like a four-poster bed, then hold the edges down with some bricks or wood. That could be simple, immediate and cost-effective solution.
Good luck and don’t give up! x
We know how you must feel Shannah. A few weeks ago our beautiful passion fruit vine, which had fruit almost ready to use, was almost totally stripped by the neighbour’s cow which sneaked in during the night. Then the next night the cow came in again and did some more damage. We have secured the fence, however there are only a few passion fruit left, which are close to turning ripe. … Kind regards, Lyall and Kristine.
Hi Wellness Warriors!! If you’d like a head-start with planning & designing your veggie patch, I’m teaching my fun & practical online organic gardening course ‘The Abundant Veggie Patch System’ for the last time live. Enrollments close 12 July so don’t miss out! ~ I’d LOVE to help you in your garden. xx
You can also grab your free copy of my ‘Quick & Easy Organic Veggie Patch Kit’ with an hand-painted ebook & ‘How to Grow Herbs the Smart Way’ training video at the same time.
Check out http://www.creatingabundance.net for all the details.
Hey Nicola, great post!! Have downloaded your fantastic freebies – thank you sooo much for sharing these with your fellow organic gardening foodies! Love your illustrations – awesome artwork!!
Just having trouble finding where to sign up for your online course????
Can you please point me in the right direction – many thanks x
Found the info about your online course – looks fabulous!!
Thanks Leonie! I’m so glad you found the info about my online gardening course (here’s the link for other readers) http://wwwcreatingabundance.net
It’s a really unique, fun and practical course all rolled into one Organic experience 
Would love to have you join us if you feel called to the program. I LOVE helping women become empowered in the garden to enjoy growing their own organic food. xx
So true Nicola! When we started our vege garden we envisaged lettuce, tomatoes, basil and parsley and have ended up with prolific crops of purslane, kale, fennel and rocket. Some of the things we expected to harvest just didn’t work out and some totally random choices like turmeric, blueberries and amranth have been such pleasant surprises. Our journey would have been a lot smoother if we had found you sooner. Cheers, Jen
Hi Jen! That’s so interesting to hear how it has changed and shaped over time to find what flourished in your garden.
I’ve never grown purslane -sounds lovely though. Kale and rocket are a staple in my garden and I used to even grow rocket in pots when I was renting. Blueberries, turmeric and amaranth are all SO good for you too! Sounds like you’ve found your groove ~ congratulations and enjoy your natural abundance xx
Wow Nicola you have just put into words exactly what I suffer from when it comes to anything creative!! It’s so good to hear that I’m possibly not the only one that actually fears starting things like a veggie garden! And you have done so well to put it all into words… Love your work! I will do your course one day but I’m renting at the moment so a garden is not really on the cards but as soon as I buy a house I will sign up!
Hi Jade! Thanks for your lovely comments. You sure aren’t the only one who fears that It’s always nice to hear, isn’t it, that other people share our experience?!
I’d love to help you set up your garden when the time is right. Later in the year I’ll be creating a new course designed to help people grow organic food in pots, so that might suit your needs in the rental!
Take care and thanks again for your lovely words. xx
ooooh! Inspirational!
Gonna get me out in the garden!
What great wisdom, I have always struggled with the thought of what do I want it to look like when it’s finished… but who says it will ever be finished but keep evolving!
thank you thank you thank you!!
Now… Where’s my spade!
Growing organic food is a part of landscaping. It will also helpful in creating a friendly environment for our house.