Hey Reader!

When we first started gardening, we made the classic mistake: trying to grow everything. Tomatoes, melons, lettuce, mangoes (in a pot indoors) ! You name it, we planted it.

But over time, we realized that good gardening isn’t about growing more. It’s about growing what fits.

1. Observe before you plant.​
Notice which corners of your yard get the most light, which stay moist, and which stay dry. Then choose the appropriate plant for that spot.

2. Grow what you love to eat.​
You’re far more likely to tend the plants you’re excited about harvesting. Okra grows well in the South, but will your family eat it? That's another question.

3. Start with what thrives locally.​
Native and well-adapted plants reward you with beauty and abundance, not struggle. Native means that plant is used to growing where you are, and attracts the beneficial wildlife / pollinators.

Now that is not to say we are "natives-only" people. We try to push the boundaries too and grow non-natives that are now acclimatized to VA due to climate change, like chayote!

Why? Because it reminds me of the Philippines. It's a healthy "pear-like-in-texture-potato-squash-like-in-taste" veggie, and it's delicious stir fried or in a chicken soup!

Choosing plants this way turns gardening into a creative partnership instead of a fight.

That’s what our book, Permaculture Gardening for Everyone is all about — working with God's natural laws, to create a thriving ecosystem that feeds both body and soul.

If you’d like help designing your garden around what truly belongs, start here:
👉 Get the book »
​​

Grow abundantly,
​Nicky & Dave
​