It All Begins With A Garden

By Wild Child Community Manager Lindsey Kennedy

When Kellye asked me to contribute a blog post for the day after Christmas, I was so confused!  When she told me what she wanted me to write about, I was so excited!  First because I think that literally EVERYONE should grow a backyard garden, but also because everything in my life, as a homeschool mom of four, has changed and it all "Began With A Garden."  Kellye talks about this too on Episode #47 of the Wild Child Kitchen Gardening Podcast.  You can listen HERE.

We are approaching 4 years ago when I randomly found Kellye on Instagram and fell absolutely in love with the way she approached her life, her garden, her faith, truthfully pretty much the way she approached everything.  At that time in my life I had three children, one struggling to find his way in public school, a garden that was struggling to grow anything more than weeds, and two littles keeping me on my toes at home.  I couldn't imagine having time to care for anything else, much less a garden.  But, my husband and I built a small raised bed and I gave it my best shot to grow some vegetables.  My children are really fond of the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" system, and have decided that there are a lot of cases that a "thumbs middle" is needed.  I would call that first garden a "thumbs middle".  We definitely did harvest some vegetables, but let's just say we weren't going to be having any garden to table meals anytime soon. Kellye frequently tells us in the Garden Club that there are, "no such thing as coincidence".  And I truly believe that me stumbling across her page on Instagram was definitely more divine intervention than coincidence. Fast forward a few years, and I am now the Community Manager for Wild Child Kitchen Gardens, and Wee Little Wild Child Contributor for our magazine In Season!  But before any of that happened... It All Began With A Garden.  Here is a photo of that first garden, in all its "thumbs middle" glory. 

In my garden I have educated my children, in my garden I have spent time with husband, in my garden I have cried, in my garden I have laughed until I cried, and in my garden we have all grown.  My garden has grown of course.  What started as one 6x6 raised bed (which is a terrible size by the way... don't do that), is now six 4x8 raised beds.  And we grow more veggies in that space than you could ever imagine! I mean look at those harvests! 

But more importantly we have grown!  We have grown by learning patience, we have grown by learning what is important to our family, and each one of us have grown by taking time to slow down and listen to what the garden is teaching us.   And don't forget the people you meet when you decide to grow a garden. You will meet the most amazing people, people who will share their garden knowledge with you at every turn, but also people who will pray with you, love on you, and support you at every turn.  The women that we garden with in the Wild Child Garden Club will change your life.  I often tell people that I believe that the ladies in the Garden Club are the best thing on the internet today, and I stand by that! We support each other in ways that go so much farther than just the garden.   I think everyone should grow a garden because I know that it is so much more than just a garden.  It all begins with a garden, but it doesn't end with one.

Our garden today has grown and expanded, but I always want people to understand that the size of your garden doesn't matter.  This garden will teach you so much whether you have one raised bed, or if you have twenty raised beds.  Whatever might be holding you back, push it aside, and just start.  It all begins with a garden, and you will be amazed where it takes you!