“Spring will be here soon,

New beginnings and new goals,

Plant seeds, watch them grow”

The flowers are starting to bloom here in Charleston. Spring is a time for new beginnings and growth and I want to do something new this year. I’ve been cooking for a log time but I have never thought of growing my own field. I do currently live in a city without a yard but I think this year I can start something, no matter how small it may be.

I got the urge to grow my own food/herbs after finding it so difficult to shop for one. Ideally, I’d make a new dish every couple days but it doesn’t seem possible with the way I have to shop now. I need parsley for this, cilantro for that and thyme for that other thing.  At the store, all I can find is herbs in larger quantities and I usually don’t even buy them because I know they’ll go bad before I use them. I know my food lacks without them, so I’ve decided to try and grow my own so I can pick and choose which quantity I need for that night or week.

I had thought about doing this but I still needed a little push, so when I got a little herb garden starter set for my bday, I know this was the motivation I needed. Besides the new gardening skill I will learn if I am successful, I hope it teaches me some patience and accountability (someone has to water them). The best part about it is I should finally have fresh herbs on hand whenever I need them. Now I’ve never gardened before, but I’m hoping I can get at least one plant to grow from this. An extra benefit will be watching something grow from start to finish: from seed to stem, flower to my plate, I will be able to see my work come full circle.

I also feel as planting these herbs will motivate me to do other things. These little herbs won’t be taking any days off so why should I. As I watch the herbs grow, I hope I also progress along with them. It is one thing do something (exercise, meditate, write, cook) one day after the other but it is another to truly progress.