The Unforeseen Green Thumb

For many of us, the current, global pandemic has birthed a new skill or hobby. The 'lockdown' inspired innumerable people to search for something safe to do -especially people who would consider themselves active. I decided that it was time to continuously publish my work, hence the creation of this blog page. Similarly, those close to me learned how to cook; some began a healthy journey by engaging in daily exercise and others started gardening.

I found the act of gardening to be particularly interesting and hence wanted to learn more. With the economic uncertainty COVID-19 has brought, gardening sounds like an incredibly smart move. I cannot visualize anything quite as satisfying as eating fresh food or looking at picturesque flowers and plants that you nurtured and grew. It is also currently relevant as businesses have closed and workers have lost jobs.

After a brief inquiry, most people (that I know), who started gardening during the pandemic, explained that they pretty much fell into it. It wasn’t pre-planned; it wasn’t even a thought before the pandemic. They decided to experiment in an area unfamiliar to them and they have little or no regrets. They consider themselves blessed to experience how therapeutic and addictive this new hobby could be; but like many other things, it has had a succession of both good and bad experiences.

I recently had the opportunity to openly discuss gardening with two of my friends. I wanted to get a deeper insight into their rollercoaster experience to highlight the truth, for those of you who may be interested in starting.

Before you peruse the interview, allow me to introduce them.

Jamal is a Technical Support Specialist for one of the leading Real Estate firms in Barbados. Outside of his profession, he is part owner of a mobile app called 'Plug In' which showcases events in Barbados. He also enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and is quite adventurous. His garden is in the rural part of Barbados where he lives, which gives him a bit of room for diverse planting options.

Ebony is a teacher by profession who enjoys reading, sports, and anything culture-based. She is a free-spirit which fueled her decision to get into gardening. She lives in the urban part of Barbados which is where her garden is located. It is completely surrounded by concrete with the exception of two patches that had been filled with mould. One is at the front and the other is at the side of the house.

I asked Jamal and Ebony the same questions about their experience gardening. This is what they both had to say:

The Interview

1. Discuss your reason for starting a garden.

Jamal: There was grass growing behind our house and it became really thick. I then decided to clear it to make around the house look tidy. From this, I had the idea to start a garden as a method to keep the grass away or at least under control. It was also a 'getaway' since COVID-19 restrictions made it difficult to leave home. I needed something to take me away from the computer, social media, and the negativity during that time.

Ebony: First of all, I am known to not have a green thumb. I had tried to grow plants in the past without success. However, I started the garden this time because I was challenged by a friend during the 'lockdown'. I never back down from a challenge. I wanted to prove that I could do it and I did.

2. What have you planted so far and why?

Jamal: I’ve planted beans, okras, cucumbers and watermelons thus far. At present, I’ve been able to harvest from all except the melons. They are still finding their way.

In my initial stages, there was no center of interest with regards to what I wanted to plant. I received seeds from a family member and decided to try my luck.

Ebony: I have grown flowers, palm trees, and grass (yes grass) in an effort to beautify the front of the house. This became known as my flower and ‘rock’ garden. In the other garden I have, I grew okras, squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, lettuce, and basil plants. I’ve only reaped okras and one squash so far. There is currently one tomato on the tree. I also recently planted beans, chives and sweet peppers. I have a few banana trees that were planted pre-COVID19.

Initially, I wanted to grow enough that I could share with family and friends in an effort to be self-sufficient during this time of uncertainty. Unfortunately, I was only able to share the okras so far. Nevertheless, I gave a tomato plant to my little cousin and shared seeds and seedlings in an effort to encourage others to grow.

3. Do you intend to expand your garden in the future? If yes or no, state why.

Jamal: I have mixed feelings about this. It is really about knowing your limit and understanding how much you can and can’t do. On one hand, I would really love to expand because I’ve found so much joy in doing it. Being able to eat what you’ve grown is an amazing feeling.

On the other hand, space and the landscape I have to work with is a factor that would limit my expansion. There is not enough room for a lot more beds due to the fact that the area has a lot of rock and not enough dirt. I am also now back at work full time so lack of time is another constraint. I am thankful to my brother Devon for being able to assist where necessary.

Ebony: It is not in my short term plans to expand the garden. After going back out to work, I found that the garden wasn’t getting the needed time and effort.

4. What were some of the challenges you’ve had so far with your garden?

Jamal: When I first started, carrots and tomatoes were on the list of things I sowed. They never saw the light of day. I have no idea if I planted them incorrectly or if they just did not want to grow. I also learned that there is the possibility of ants stealing the seeds. I had no idea that happens. Living in the country and in close vicinity to gullies and wild trees, there’s also the possibility that monkeys would steal your crop. I remember hearing my family members telling me that I needed to make sure that the monkeys were unable to get to the cucumbers. That motivated me to eventually build a cover for the cucumbers with some wood and mesh. This was definitely the most difficult thing I planted as the caterpillars made a mess of them by chewing the leaves. Those little things turn into beautiful butterflies but they are some serious pests to your plants.

Next, the cucumbers had blight which is a plant disease. This happened twice. The first time we were able to save them using a mixture of baking soda, water, vegetable or cooking oil and dishwashing liquid. We used this to spray the top and bottom of the leaves. Unfortunately, the second time, we were unable to save the cucumbers. This was a sad day. Other challenges included pests such as giant African snails, slugs, and frogs.

Ebony: Since I was a novice, I made many mistakes. Initially, I planted too many seeds in the spaces that I had allotted per crop. Hence, I had to make adjustments as the crops started to grow. Another challenge was pests - slugs and ants made the garden theirs. Also, there were no bees to facilitate pollination and I had to self-pollinate. I used a Q-tip to rub the pollen from the anther of the male to the stigma of the female flower. This has been a difficult task.

5. What advice would you give to someone interested in starting a garden?

Jamal: If you are up for the challenge, just go for it! It requires time and patience. It sometimes feels as though it takes forever to harvest anything, but in the end, seeing your produce will warm your heart.

Ebony: The best advice I would give to someone who is interested in starting a garden is to give it a try. Nothing beats a trial. Talk to others, do your research and accept advice. Though quite unexpected, the garden offered serenity and comfort. I absolutely detest being in the sun, but I found myself spending hours in the garden totally oblivious to the sun beating upon my skin. Now I am challenging you to start gardening.

Learning Experience

After examining Jamal and Ebony's statements, I began to think about how much they learned during a short time. They both knew very little about gardening when they first started, but the knowledge they shared with me should be enough to encourage someone who is thinking about starting their own garden. Also quite appealing, is the fact that they have totally different professional backgrounds- which do not include any aspect of gardening- and they are situated in opposite geographical locations on our beautiful island Barbados. Though this caused their experiences to be a little different, there were multiple similarities and learning opportunities they both encountered.

Having a green thumb doesn’t mean that you know everything there is to know about gardening. For those of you, who are interested in gardening, just go for it! A green thumb does not require you to study or even have professional experience in the field of agriculture. You must simply have the intrinsic ability to grow something.

What you choose to grow with your green thumb is entirely up to you. Like most things, if you are getting started, remember that there are challenges along the way; but what is sweeter than reaping rewards after a few stumbling blocks? Hmm, I know! Watching your plants grow after investing time, sweat, money and sometimes even tears. Being a gardener is hard. It requires perfect patience and selfless love. This is the time to grow your own. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

Follow @js_greenthumb on Instagram for more gardening tips.

Photos by Jamal King