I just wanted to share a little glimpse into my daily life in the garden—not a traditional garden, but my edible and herbal food forest. 🌱

Out here, there’s no rush. No pressure. Just me, the plants, and the peaceful rhythm of nature. Every day, I go outside and plant a little something—one here, one there. No big rows, no strict organization. You’ll never see me out there planting 50 tomatoes in neat little lines. That’s just not how my garden grows.

Instead, I use companion planting and let the plants mingle naturally, just like they do in the wild. Everything is mixed—herbs next to veggies, flowers beside fruit, all living in harmony. It’s not just gardening; it’s a gentle, living ecosystem.

And the best part? It’s incredibly therapeutic. I take my time. I breathe. I listen to the birds, feel the sun on my skin, and enjoy the process. It’s not a chore—it’s a joy. A few minutes, a few plants, every day until I am satisfied and I have enough for the year. 

If you’ve ever dreamed of growing your own food, but felt overwhelmed by the idea—trust me, it doesn’t have to be complicated. My Edible and Herbal Food Forest Guide will teach you to start small! Plant slowly. Mix it up. Enjoy it. EVERY YEAR is a new adventure in diversity! All of my plants have a PURPOSE that they serve in my food forest, but it is still fun adding new plants into the mix!

One of the most beautiful things about my food forest is how simple it is. It’s not a rigid plan with exact rows and numbers. It's done in sections, slowly. It’s alive, it’s intuitive, and it grows right along with me—naturally and peacefully.

Since my food forest is already well-established, there’s a solid backbone of perennial foods growing all over the space. Everywhere you look, something edible is thriving—herbs, fruit, roots, greens; there is always something ready to harvest or just about to be!

Each season, all I really have to do is fill in the gaps. There are little empty pockets here and there that I’ve saved especially for annuals & biennials. I don’t plant them all at once. I never feel pressure to “get it all done” in a day. If one day I only add two tomato plants, that’s enough. The next day, maybe I’ll tuck in a pepper and a cucumber. A few days later? Maybe it’s corn or a new batch of basil. Pace yourself, channel the "tortoise," not "the hare!" 🐢 🐇

It’s always a little different, and it’s always based on what I have on hand and how I’m feeling that day. I don’t follow rules (other than my 5 original non-negotiable rules I set for my food forest at the beginning) or stick to planting schedules. I trust the land and the process. I plant a little here, a little there, and it all comes together, abundantly.

Even if I only end up with two of each plant, I’m still going to harvest buckets of vegetables. That’s the magic of companion planting and letting the ecosystem do what it does best—support life in every corner.

So if you’ve ever felt like growing food has to be complicated, or that you need to plant everything in one big weekend push, let me tell you: you don’t. Start small. Scatter joyfully. Let nature lead. Allow me to give you the SHORTCUT to this paradise in your back yard through my Edible and Herbal Food Forest Guide.

This is my therapy, my joy, and my nourishment—in every sense of the word.

The Future Is Worth The Patience Of The Present

-Michele

The Homemade Gardener