There is something incredibly rewarding about watching a garden grow.
This year, however, my garden journey has come with a new challenge—and a new blessing. For the first time, I’m building and maintaining my garden while caring for an infant.
If you’re a parent, you already know that free time becomes a rare commodity. Gone are the days of spending entire weekends planting, weeding, and redesigning garden beds. These days, garden projects happen during nap times, while carrying a baby, or in short bursts whenever I can sneak outside for a few minutes.
Despite the slower pace, I’m proud of how much has been accomplished so far.
What’s Growing This Year
One of my biggest projects has been setting up two vertical planters filled with a variety of vegetables and strawberries. These towers help maximize growing space while allowing me to experiment with different crops in a smaller footprint.
Inside the towers I’ve planted:
- Strawberries
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Broccoli
- Beans
- Various greens and vegetables
Throughout the garden, I’ve also expanded my raised beds and container growing areas.
The raised beds are currently home to:
- Kale
- Collards
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Strawberries
My herb garden continues to thrive with favorites like:
- Basil
- Dill
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Mint
I’ve also added berry plants and perennial edibles that will hopefully provide harvests for years to come.
Progress Over Perfection
Looking around the garden, it’s easy to see what still needs to be done.
There are weeds that need pulling.
Some beds still need planting.
A few crops struggled through spring storms and need replacing.
There are irrigation improvements I’d like to make and support structures that still need installing.
In previous years, I might have been frustrated by the unfinished projects. This season has taught me to see things differently.
When you have a baby, sometimes a successful gardening day means spending fifteen minutes watering plants. Sometimes it means harvesting a handful of herbs. Sometimes it means simply walking through the garden with your child and checking on what’s growing.
And that’s enough.
Gardening has reminded me that growth doesn’t happen overnight. Plants don’t become productive because we rush them. They thrive through consistency, patience, and care.
The same can be said for motherhood.
The Garden’s Future
As summer progresses, there is still plenty on my gardening to-do list.
I want to:
- Add additional warm-season crops
- Improve trellising systems
- Continue expanding growing spaces
- Increase food production
- Preserve harvests for the pantry
- Improve organization throughout the garden
The work never truly ends, and honestly, that’s part of what I love about gardening.
Every season teaches something new.
Every year brings successes and failures.
Every garden evolves.
Growing More Than Food
One of the things I look forward to most is sharing this garden with my son as he grows.
Right now he mostly watches from my arms or stroller while I work. Someday he’ll help plant seeds, pick strawberries, harvest tomatoes, and learn where food comes from.
Those future memories make every weed pulled and every bed planted worth it.
This garden may not be perfect.
It may still be a work in progress.
But so am I.
And together, we’re growing.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, a beginner, or a parent trying to squeeze gardening into an already busy life, I hope this encourages you to keep going. You don’t need perfection to create something beautiful.
You simply need to start where you are and keep growing.