I was born with a brown thumb, or so I grew up believing. My mom certainly considered herself to be brown-thumbed, disappointed by the varying levels of success growing herbs and tomatoes on our back porch. She tells tales about her grandmother, Urbana, who was able to grow anything. Her aunt, our Tía Nena, would plant pineapple crowns in her garden and grow tiny fruits. Did the fact that they were growing tropical plants in tropical areas (Cuba and Miami), as opposed to vegetables in clay and shade (Alabama), make the difference? We’ll never know.

Nevertheless, I only dipped my toe into gardening a couple times (i.e., I sowed cursed Honey Nut Cheerios seeds and I killed several houseplants) before I made the ultimate gardener move: I bought a house with a big yard. I did not buy land with gardening intent, but indoor home improvement projects quickly led to outdoor home improvement projects. Thankfully my partner inherited her mother’s green thumb; she has given me the confidence to break my athumbtions thumb assumptions and believe I can garden.

My gardening goals have changed from season to season and year to year. My reasons for growing and landscaping have included everything from solving drainage issues, to supporting wildlife, to growing food and a hundred other purposes. My intentions have changed as my knowledge has grown, but my overarching desire has always been to walk out of my home and enjoy the abundance of nature. A personal paradise. A Midwest Xanadu.

I’ve read hundreds of county extension articles, Reddit posts, and gardening blogs. I’ve perused a few books and watched many Youtube videos. I have taken no classes, received no certifications, and earned no credentials. Like my previous sourdough obsession, I’ve simply put every spare thought, moment, and dime into learning and doing as much as I can.

Like anyone else with an obsession, my brain is filled with knowledge and experiences that I want to share. Like anyone else trying to maintain a successful relationship, I don’t want to talk so much about my obsession that my fiance leaves me. Enter this series.

I will present my journey in the garden chronologically through the plants and plans as I came to understand them. There are many places to find technical details about plants; what I will share instead is my personal experience with each one. 

Please bear with me and my mistakes, both in the garden and in the writing. I’m xanaduing my best.