I am Growing Food – So What?

Giving Time for Abundance

People don’t realize, including me previously, that gardening is a skill set and has a lot of science that goes into it. I am here, possibly like you, a novice urban gardener. There is a lot that happens underground in soil that is living and breathing; microbes, worms, roots, water, and air. We are primarily made up of the same matter.

By working more with plants, talking to them, watching their mood swings; I’ve learned sometimes they get dry and thirsty which makes them a little sad, occasionally perky and joyful because they placed and designed around the right plant circles and sometimes in need of some medication because of a pest infestation. Tending to the garden is much more than just spraying water around. For those living and breathing creatures to flourish, provide food and nutrients and to continue thriving — takes a lot of thoughtful action, mapping, responding and care. Similarly, it takes a lot of hard work for us to feel good. Which brings us to the backbone of Cultivate Central, the principles of urban permaculture that help us make these alignments as we interweave with nature.

Since I have started spending my morning and afternoons at the garden, it is also a place where you can encounter all kinds of people — other fellow gardeners, people finding their way around and curious kids. Sometimes, I don’t get the most favorable reaction. “Chloe, what are you doing nowadays? … gardening?!” Then, I explain the basics of permaculture, which is a joy and opportunity to introduce Cultivate Central. I am proud of what I do, and I would much rather be outside making soil and giving plants the right nutrients to grow, than sitting down indoors. Even, if it seems like what I do is deems as an “unconventional” job. If you think about it, we are here on this earth to take care of the land that we live on.Even if I am doing it in the smallest possible way, like planting seedlings, it feels good.

Often, especially in the landscape of today where there is not much or any regard for the natural environment, Mother Nature is responding with her volcanic explosions and rivers drying up; but she is also ever-forgiving. Have we ever thought that maybe slowing down will give us more insight into the next step we need to take? Or are we too busy to see, feel and sense what is going on? What are we really doing?

What I love most about this new rhythm in my life is that I get to work hands-on. I see my work as a way of life, I am constantly working, it is a continuum. I see it that way because I love the work that I do and I don’t see it as an agitation, where I have to haul myself up every single morning. I love working with my hands, moving my body, getting a bit messy, teaching workshops, encountering people and being out under the sun. I thrive in this environment where we can learn from the sensory, textures, weather and natural urban environment. I am more than happy with enough. How much do we really need?

Getting Used to Abundance

I am learning how to grow food — so what? To simplify for myself and for you. We go to the grocery or the market regularly. We buy basil, herbs, tomatoes, lemons, what have you. We are able to cook with these ingredients, make a good meal and nourish ourselves. Why we don’t we decide to grow our own food instead? The usual response — too busy, who has time for gardening, who has the time? Temporality, daily routine, rhythm, time, rubber time, habit, co-existence. Do we really have control over our time? Now that I have in my pocket, basic gardening skills of tending and listening to plants, I feel more appreciative of what I put into my mouth. Because, I have to wait for about two weeks before I can harvest the vibrant red and green chili, I have to water the baby plants every day and give them extra attention, or the cabbage and freshly pruned basil plant won’t make it. If I don’t check for pests or give plants the occasional fish amino at least once a month, they start to have whiteflies and get sick.

Essentially, it comes down to care. The kind of care that is soft, yet smart. I have to say it again, Nature is usually more forgiving than we are and if we take care of her, she will respond with abundance of nourishment that looks like vibrant Brazilian spinach, hardy Mexican mint, overflowing laksa leaves, deep burgundy hibiscus leaves, fruiting miracle berries and our friends who come to visit us, ladybugs, birds and garden lizards.

If you’re a novice gardener, like me, maybe you don’t know where to start? I got lucky, Nova is telling me all the wrong things I am doing. Ha-ha. Which is so useful. For the everyday busy-bee, an excellent place to start would be with two or three herbs that are low-maintenance such as the Indian borage, mint or Thai basil – you can enjoy these easy-going herbs with your meals and save yourself a trip to the grocery. Make sure that you harvest, so that the plant can continue to grow, it will only flourish if you remember to harvest! It’s a win-win situation for both you and your herbs.

Since it is flu season in Singapore, I too have the sniffles. We are sharing with you: Garden with mum — create a Healing Herb patch at the Funan Showsuite this Saturday, May 5th, a fun activity that you can bring home and build as a healthy habit. If you are really interested in learning more — celebrate Mother's Day with us at our Beyond Gardening: From Graden to Skin session where you learn how to make your own organic lip-balm. Slots are limited and there are only a few left, so do reserve ahead of time. As well as our regular volunteer program twice a month on Wednesdays, Grow at the Good Garden.

We would love for you to join us on this journey. We hope to see you soon. Please don’t hesitate to share with us your concerns or comments. We would be glad to expand our green circles within the wide web with you.

Nova Nelson

I’m a Social Entrepreneur, Permaculture Designer, a gardening coach, content creator and educator. I started Cultivate Central as a solo enterprise. It started as a blog about my journey in Permaculture Design. It then evolved and grew into a small social enterprise. Today, I focus on creating regenerative food gardens, developing and delivering educational experiences, championing vermicomposting and building collaborative community programmes with organisations, corporates, developers and schools, with a small but talented team. I’m passionate about helping them embark on a journey of earth care centred on building regenerative food systems and cultures.

How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.