From the Porch: Start Where You Are

There is something we hear all the time around here.

“I want to grow my own food, but…”

But I don’t have enough space.

But I don’t know what I’m doing.

But I don’t have raised beds.

But my yard isn’t big enough.

But I don’t have all the equipment.

But I need to learn more first.

And somewhere between wanting to grow something and believing we need to have everything figured out before we do, we never actually start.

Around here, we don’t believe you need to have it all figured out.

Truth is, 1737 didn’t start as 1737.

There wasn’t some grand master plan with everything mapped out from the beginning.

There was a little space.

There was curiosity.

There was a willingness to try something.

And then we learned.

We planted things that grew beautifully.

We planted some things that absolutely did not. 😂

We learned where the sun stayed the longest. We learned what wanted more water and what we were loving a little too much with the water hose. We learned about our soil. We learned about bugs. We learned what grew well here and what apparently had other plans.

And little by little, we grew.

Not just the garden.

Us, too.

That’s the part I think gets lost when people look at someone else’s garden.

You’re looking at their now and comparing it to your beginning.

Don’t do that.

You don’t need ten raised beds.

You don’t need an acre.

You don’t need a greenhouse.

You don’t need every gardening tool somebody on the internet told you was a “must-have.”

You don’t even need a backyard.

A few containers on a patio count.

A sunny balcony counts.

Herbs growing outside your kitchen door count.

A tomato plant in a five-gallon bucket?

Baby, that counts too.

The Start Where You Are guide says it plainly: your garden can live almost anywhere – a backyard, patio, balcony, porch, or even a sunny window.

Because this isn’t about building somebody else’s garden.

It’s about learning how to grow where you are, with what you have.

So We Made Something for You

We’ve been working on something especially for the person standing at the beginning, saying:

“Okay…but where do I start?”

The Start Where You Are: A Beginner Garden Guide from 1737 Urban Homestead was made for you.

Not the experienced gardener.

Not the person who already knows what soil amendments they need and can identify a pest from twenty feet away. 😂

The beginner.

The person who just wants to grow some food.

Inside, Jordan walks you through the basics without making gardening feel like something you need a degree to understand.

You’ll learn how to choose your growing space, decide how you want to grow, pick beginner-friendly crops, build better soil habits, water properly, and probably most importantly – start small. The guide recommends beginning with just 3–5 plants, one raised bed, or a few containers.

Because your first garden isn’t supposed to prove anything.

It’s supposed to teach you something.

And Something Is Going to Die. 😂

There. We said it.

A plant is going to struggle.

A bug is going to eat something you were planning to eat.

Something you were absolutely convinced was thriving is going to wake up one morning and choose violence.

Welcome to gardening. 😂

The guide has an entire page called “Expect Imperfection,” because that’s part of growing too: some plants struggle, some bugs visit, and some things simply don’t work. Every season teaches you something new.

That’s not failure.

That’s information for next time.

And there will be a next time.

Because eventually you’ll walk outside and see the first tomato.

Or pull your first carrot.

Or snip basil that you grew yourself for dinner.

And you’re going to stand there ridiculously proud of something you could have bought at the grocery store for three dollars.

😂

We know.

And that’s when you’ll understand.

Growing food changes something.

It makes you pay attention.

To the weather.

To the seasons.

To the soil.

To time.

And maybe even to yourself.

The last pages of Start Where You Are say something that feels very much like the heart of what we’re building here at 1737:

Start where you are.
Start small.
Just start.

That’s it.

You don’t need to become a homesteader tomorrow.

Grow one thing.

Learn from it.

Then grow another.

And when you’re ready for the next thing?

We’ll still be sitting right here on the Porch.

🌱 Start Where You Are — A Beginner Garden Guide

And when you’re ready to keep growing with us, come pull up a chair at The Garden Table. That’s where we’re sharing monthly garden reminders, printable resources, first access to classes and events, and more from behind the scenes here at the homestead.