Alexis in Seabrook
If everyone is growing just a little bit in their yards then we can all share when there are disruptions.
When I moved to Australia I was looking for like-minded people and a gardening community near me. I found My Smart Garden on the Hobsons Bay website and I was like “Yes! Get me in here! This looks fantastic!”. I grew up with my mom and my grandfather having gardens so I had plenty of interest and some knowledge, but I didn’t have skills until I joined the program. My Smart Garden is helping me adapt what I know to my new home in Seabrook which has different plants, weather patterns and sun movements. It’s connected me to my new council and neighbours as well.
The ‘Growing from seed’ workshop was particularly helpful. When I planted seedlings previously they would fail to germinate, grow weakly, or die completely. The webinar gave lots of great tips so now I’m having better results and feel more confident. This year I’m growing Cherokee Purple, Atomic Grape and Brown Berry tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, summer squash, sunflower and marigolds. I’m also growing collard greens, black eyed peas and Clemson Spineless and Burgundy okra.
For a lot of Black Americans it’s tradition to eat a nice big plate of okra, black eyed peas and collard greens on New Years Eve, but I haven’t been able to find black eyed peas or okra in local shops, and I cannot find collard greens anywhere. Growing these foods at home is much more convenient, and I feel so much appreciation and pride in knowing where my food comes from and carrying on gardening and cooking traditions as well.
Cost can be a barrier to gardening but the program is already saving me money by offering free classes and helping me learn how to garden without having to buy so many materials. Now I’m working towards one of my biggest dreams which is to grow a bunch of food so we rarely have to go to the grocery store! As a bonus the program encourages a problem-solving mindset and I have adopted that for other issues as well.
Climate-related disasters like drought, floods and fires are happening more often. Food security is a point of anxiety for many and definitely for me. Everyone should have access to good, fresh, healthy food, and a community they can rely on. If everyone is growing just a little bit in their yards then we can all share when there are disruptions. My Smart Garden is helping me and my community become more resilient and I would definitely recommend everyone look into the program.