Several years ago, the library gifted me free seeds. I thought I was going to plant that year, but I didn’t get around to it. I loved the idea of growing my fruits and vegetables, especially since I’m a self-proclaimed frugal queen. However, almost every year, I’d end up sending the seeds to my friend’s mom, who has been tending a garden for years now.
Who would’ve thought that I’d finally start a garden? Once the great illness fell upon my state, our governor immediately placed us on stay-at-home orders. As a non-essential worker, I no longer had my “day jobs” (that I enjoyed but chose not to talk about because folks like to talk about “day jobs” too darn much). Therefore I had plenty of time on my hands and wanted to try something different. I brainstormed plants I could grow and created a budget.
During the stay-at-home order, the neighborhood library was doing deliveries and curbside pick-ups. One day I took a walk there. The librarian brought out a box full of seeds. I began to pick through it. It was an exciting start as I planted flowers and basil plants. Although most of them grew, they didn’t grow large enough to have dinner and sell bouquets, which was the goal last year and again this year.
I had and still have big dreams of a flourishing garden and saving so much money on groceries. One of the first things I’ve noticed when I lost two gigs during the pandemic was how increasingly pricey the cost of food was getting. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall consumer prices increased by 5.4% in the last 12 months as of July 2021.
And financial folks who had jobs love to boast about spending less than what they earn. And as I wasn’t earning, I was making the best of what I had, which is always more than enough.
What started as an experiment turned into a hobby turned into a quest to save money and a project to acquire land. I met with farmers, beekeepers, professors, researchers, food advocates, and entrepreneurs in this journey. But that’s a topic for another day.
Kou T. Nyan 