This is how it started

by Dana Cager

After the death of my grandmother in 2018, then the death of my father in 2019, I was in desperate need for connection (and therapy). I've always had potted plants (mostly herbs), indoor plants, and vases full of flowers from the grocery store--living things give me energy. When we purchased our home in 2018 I knew it was the one because of the massive backyard space, I remember thinking of all the gardening possibilities but with the bustle of home ownership, then a wedding, I never had the energy to get things started. Fast-forward past back to back grief, little processing time, being a new wife, dog mom, and changing careers I was a mess and looking for answers, so I went outside and found them in the soil. Hours upon hours I spent outside hunched over, tilling by hand, crying, singing, remembering, and above all else, healing. I can honestly say my garden saved my life, in the best way, and I'm here to share that restorative energy with others best I can. Always with the best intentions. Always with my ancestors in mind.