What My Garden Gave Me: Health, Growth, and a Season of Change

When I first started gardening in the summer of 2018, it began as a simple project and a way to spend more time outdoors. I never expected it to change the way I thought about food, health, and even the seasons of life. Learning from My Dad Growing up, my dad always kept a garden. He used the vegetables he grew in our meals and often shared the extras with family. Back then, I wasn’t interested in gardening myself — but that eventually changed. I still remember the day I told my dad I wanted to grow my own food. Without hesitation, he built me my first 4x4 raised bed, and within a few months, I was picking vegetables from my very own garden.

Health and Growth A few years in, I experienced a health scare and was told I needed to change my diet. That moment changed the way I viewed food and motivated me to expand my garden even more, because I wanted to know exactly what was going into the meals I ate—knowing that everything I grew was free from chemicals gave me peace of mind. What began with one raised bed has now grown into five.

Lessons from the Garden Each year, I challenge myself to try something new — whether it’s a different crop, a new growing method, or another skill. With every season, I learn something valuable along the way. One year, my cucumbers struggled, yielding only a few. The following season, after picking up a new technique, I produced hundreds! Now I can share my harvest in a way I experienced growing up.

In my garden, I grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, including zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, collards, and raspberries. Because my growing season is short, I freeze some of my vegetables, like zucchini and broccoli, so I can enjoy them throughout the months when I can’t grow them.

Passing It On Every now and then, I’ll have my two kids help me in the garden — sometimes harvesting vegetables, other times just watching as I explain what I’m doing and why it matters. Right now, they don’t always seem very interested, but I think back to when I was their age and how gardening didn’t capture my attention either — until one day, it did. My hope is that by seeing me care for the garden year after year, they’ll eventually be inspired to grow their own food.

Health Made Simple For me, gardening is a reminder that health doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. It’s about nurturing a seed — watering, caring for it, and giving it time — and watching it thrive. This experience not only allows me to enjoy fresh, healthy foods and spend time outdoors, but it also helps me step away from screens, which supports eye and brain health.

Start Where You Are While fall might not be the season for everyone to plant outdoors, it can still be the season to begin — whether that’s planning next year’s garden, trying a few herbs on the windowsill, or making one small change for your health. Don’t wait for the “perfect season.” Just start with one seed, one change, and watch how it grows.

Images showing the evolution of the garden—from the first raised bed to half of the current garden, pre-fall—featuring a variety of homegrown fruits and vegetables.