Gardening in an Apartment

I like to think of myself as a green thumb. But let’s face it – oftentimes living in a city is hard for anyone interested in gardening. You have to factor in rain (or where I live in Austin, TX, lack thereof), sunshine, space, time to take care of plants, etc. The list goes on. Gardening can be expensive and disheartening – especially when you kill succulents (THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN’T DIE) *cue frustration*.

Anyways, I was SO PUMPED when my friend Bleakney asked me to help her out. She’s a junior at UT Austin and a vegan. Check out her awesome insta: @ettufruite

We talked about sustainability, how gardening is better for the environment and you, and how satisfying and fulfilling it feels to grow and eat something you nurtured. She decided she wanted to try some smaller things out first and see what happened. We then went to Home Depot to pick up our supplies:

Various sized pots
Potting soil
Herbs
Veggies
Fruits

BLEAKNEY EXCITED ABOUT BECOMING A PLANT MOM ^^^

It was a bit weird for me planting in late January. I’m from Houston originally, and my family plants outdoors around March. But planting in pots and indoors changes things! I suggest checking out the Farmer’s Almanac if you’re unsure when to plant: http://www.almanac.com/

We picked up some basil, tomatoes, and blueberries. She didn’t want to buy too much and not be able to take care of everything, so we started out small. Remember: gardening can also be expensive. It’s also cheaper to start out with seeds instead, but those take longer to grow. I was familiar with basil and tomatoes, but I’ve never grown blueberries before. It can be helpful to read online about plants you’re unfamiliar with, and be sure to read the labels so you can know how big plants get and how much sun and water they’ll need!