Garden Zoomies

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  • Garden Reflections

    I’m currently sitting in my living room looking out at my garden, planning and thinking about the spring. I have six blueberry bushes in pots I need to plant, one growing mulberry bush that needs a permanent home, and two cherry bushes and a pomegranate tree that need to be relocated. I’m also getting mental zoomies thinking about where a small green house can go, how could I fit more fruit trees, where can I squeeze a flower patch and how can I use up every ounce of open space in my yard….. my imagination and plans for my backyard homestead garden are too much, even for me.

    Naturally I would drag my husband into twenty different garden rabbit holes and projects to complete by tomorrow, but in the past three years of gardening I’m learning that this lifestyle is truly is not a sprint but a marathon. Looking back, I wouldn’t do a single thing differently but moving forward, I plan to let wisdom guide more for my actions. All that, to share with you three of my biggest nuggets of wisdom I’ve acquired in the garden.

    #1. Plant your fruit trees first. When I bought my first four fruit trees, I assumed that I would have an endless amount of fruit later in the season. I later learned that fruit trees take a few YEARS so establish themselves. When you buy a fruit tree, it’s wise to prune it and not let it fruit for its first few seasons so all of the tree’s energy can go into establishing a strong root system. Patience and a strong root system means that in the years to come, you will have an abundance of fruit from your trees. If you dream of picking apples in your yard, its smart to go ahead and just buy them ASAP, the time is going to pass regardless, so why not get a head start.

    #2. DON’T DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE. Going from an apartment with no yard, to finally having a yard was so exciting. I had an endless amount of garden/homestead projects saved on Pinterest and I wanted them all completed by the end of the day. *shoutout to my husband for putting in the work* In that first year we built nine garden beds, built a koi pond, got chickens, a compost bin, planted four fruit trees, got berry bushes and got a bees (and I was also pregnant). Once everything started growing and began getting established it was just too much. Koi fish kept dying, we had to learn how to take care of chickens, the garden (and its pests) grew out of control, the compost bin was never used…. oh we lost our bees. I simply had too many new things to learn in a short period of time. I don’t necessarily regret taking on so much, but I do think mastering the basics is more manageable than trying to do everything at once.

    #3. Learn to preserve your harvest. The garden always starts slow, and somehow overnight it turns into a jungle. A little seedling turns into a bush taller than a small child. I hate to admit how much of my garden has been eaten by my chickens because I just did not know what to do with so much food (and I also let it go bad). Eating from the garden is so rewarding, until it’s your tenth day in a row having green beans and tomatoes. But since the goal is to eat from the garden year round, it’s wise to have the mindset that preserving food IS PART OF GARDENING. Especially if your goal is to homestead at any capacity. I highly suggest watching YouTube videos or getting some books on preserving your harvest, it seems so intimidating, but canning, pickling and drying herbs is just as fun and rewarding as gardening itself.

    Ultimately there is no right or wrong way to garden and there is definitely no timeline. The most important thing is to get started, and learn from the mistakes that you are going to inevitably make. I truly believe that in today’s world, if you can garden you should. I hope these little nuggets of wisdom help inspire you to go buy some fruit trees and put your hands in some dirt!

  • Back to the roots.

    My relationship with food in my early twenties was a chaotic hot mess. Just like most young women, I fell right into the “beauty standard” trap, which at the time was changing from being super model skinny to fitness model fit. In my pursuit to achieving the “ideal” body, I stumbled upon so many rabbit holes that made me question everything about our food system.

    I stumbled upon the vegan lifestyle after almost two years of eating a restrictive bodybuilding diet. Something I really enjoyed about the vegan lifestyle was the idea of coexisting with nature and animals, even though I didn’t really understand what that meant the way I do today. During that time I also became a tree hugging hippie and was drawn to Hawaii (a place that changed me forever).

    Hawaii is such a special place for me, because it opened my eyes to a different way of living. A life could be in harmony and balance with nature. I’ll never forget staying in Jeff’s tree house on the Big Island. When my husband and I got to the tree house (the Airbnb) we were greeted by Jeff who proceeded to tell us his plans to plant a fruit forest in his property. I was so intrigued and that conversation planted a homesteading seed in my heart.

    A few years later on my babymoon, I was so incredibly lucky to stay in the coolest place in all of Kaua’i. It was similar to my stay at Jeff’s tree house. The owner of the property was Hawaiian by blood, so he was passionate about living in harmony with the Aina (the land) and his Airbnb reflected that. He had the most beautiful yurt in his backyard and he was turning his land into a food forest. He had bees, chickens, and endless amount of fruit trees and a salad garden next to the outdoor kitchen. I remember telling myself that I was going to recreate this experience in my own home.

    I can’t explain the feeling of growing a flower or a tomato in a broken world ruled by greed. I don’t trust our food system. My distrust of the food system began back when I was orthorexic, it’s one of the best things that came out of that chaos. Also, being hippie at heart, I just naturally crave a life that goes against the norm. And in today’s climate, growing your own food and learning the basics of self sustainability in any scale, feels rebellious, in the best way.

    All of that to say that growing your own food (in whatever capacity you can) and reclaiming that lost art and those incredibly valuable skills can be such a rewarding rabbit hole to dive into!

  • Healing, Grieving and the Garden

    As my husband and I were putting Bob to rest in the middle of the garden, I took a deep breath and tried to freeze that moment. I wanted to be mindful, present and soak in that last moment having my sweet Bob by my side. It was a beautiful golden fall day, the sun was shinning directly on the garden, and the plants were slow dancing with the wind. Despite the tears in my eyes, I couldn’t help but to notice my garden vividly illustrating the cycle of life.

    I noticed a few of my cold hearty herbs and veggies thriving. My cilantro and parsley had doubled in size. My kale was showing new growth and my Swiss chard had the most vibrant pinks and yellows I’ve ever seen. I noticed life in the garden.

    Then I looked the other direction and noticed a gradual death. The night temperatures had been rapidly dropping in early November and my summer plants were dwindling away. My tomatoes, basil, luffa and butternut squash plants were begging to be pulled out. I harvested what I could and was happy with my yield. A yield big enough to enjoy for months to come.

    Turning my head I noticed my beautiful flowers were all dead, they were my favorite part of my garden this year. They filled my days with beauty and awe. The few flowers left had visible signs of frost burn, their color was dull and all that was left was their seeds to save for next year. And looking past my flowers, I noticed the leaves falling off all of my fruit trees, a reminder that the fruit orchard was ready for dormancy until next year.

    In that moment Yah revealed to me that the seasons of life, can be seen in the garden. The book of Ecclesiastes, specifically chapter 3, comes to mind when I ponder over the Fall garden. Fall is a special time in the garden when I can appreciate the beauty of life. I can literally see life sprouting before my eyes, while at the same exact time noticing the completion of a cycle (death). And while a plant dying and experiencing grief in your heart are two completely different things, it was a reminder that there is a time to mourn and a time to dance.

    I included the word “healing” in the tittle of this blog post, because this revelation from Yah does help my grieving heart heal. Understanding that our lives are made up of seasons, and surrendering the “why’s” to Yah and trusting in His ways brings my heart comfort (even if I don’t understand it).

  • Together in the garden.

    Hi, I’m Leidy and welcome to my virtual garden.

    The desire to start a garden blog has been in my heart for quite some time. It’s as if a seed was planted in my heart, and my heart is now tender enough for the seed to take root.

    I had a mind full of excuses delaying me from starting this blog. The thoughts in my mind ranged from questions and limiting affirmations that truly served no purpose other than clogging my brain. “Who’s going to read it?…” I don’t have time to blog with a toddler..” “I don’t even know what I’m doing in the garden….” etc. I danced with the idea of starting this blog, but it was easier to find excuses not to.

    Then suddenly, on November 7 2025, in the blink of an eye my heart shattered. My heart didn’t just shatter, it bled and it cried. My best friend, my first baby, the little 34 pounds of sunshine that filled my heart with joy, Bob passed away. I have never experienced heartbreak like this. Not only did I lose my best friend, but I lost a piece of my heart that could never be replaced.

    I was drowning in agonizing pain while having to do the most painful thing I’ve ever had to do, say goodbye and bury the living being I love the most. (Note: I’ve never experienced a personal loss like this before, and now have so much more empathy for anyone who has been in my shoes). Finding a resting place for Bob wasn’t hard.

    Earlier in the spring, I re did my garden. My vision was to have my own Garden of Eden at home. I didn’t just want to have a garden, I wanted to dwell in it and get lost in it. The most logical solution was to have a sitting area in the middle of the garden. A place to sit and just enjoy God’s perfect creation. Never did I imagine that my favorite, and the most beautiful part of my garden would be the very same spot I would lay my sweet boy to rest.

    Now I understand that grief comes in waves. Some waves are scary, big, and so powerful that they have the power to swallow you into the depths of the ocean, while others are beautiful, calming and easy to ride. Knowing that Bob is always with me in the garden feels like a soft wave, the kind that just kisses you on a warm summer day.

    And in the midst of drowning in grief, I knew I did not want to feel this pain in vain. I wanted to honor Bob, not only because I love him so much, but because he expanded my heart in ways I could never begin to describe. Within seconds I knew NOW was the time to start this blog. Nothing in life is forever, and the garden is the best teacher of the beauty, fragility and seasons we all experience in life.

    The name Garden Zoomies was inspired by my both of best friends Bob and Marley. If you’ve been lucky enough to experience dog zoomies you know they are the cutest, funniest, most chaotic few seconds of energy oozing out of a furry body. And that’s honestly how I feel about gardening. I feel like a young puppy having zoomies. I bounce from project to project with puppy like energy not ever knowing what I’m actually doing, just having fun. And adding a toddler to the mix is a big chunk of the chaos.

    I am excited to share all my garden zoomies, and have you dwell with me here in this virtual garden.