Garden Notes: My First-Time Micro-Garden Experience

Activating patience, celebrating tiny wins, and laughing at unexpected chaos in my first micro-garden.

This micro-garden started as a sudden idea—one of those bursts of curiosity (and a little OCD energy). Looking back, I can see it was also kind of intuitive. I didn’t plan it around any big emotional intention, but it ended up being exactly what I needed. Before an emotional breakthrough I wrote about in a previous post, I was just looking for something tangible to focus on. Gardening, even on a tiny scale, became that grounding thing in my life—and a surprisingly fun one.

I went all in—books, Pinterest boards, YouTube tutorials, and a daily journal—but what made it meaningful was how it mirrored what I was learning emotionally: slowing down, letting go, and celebrating what actually grows instead of imagining a bountiful farm in my living room. Pruning, transplanting, and watching things develop taught me patience and occasionally had me laughing at myself—and at the plants.

🌱The Enthusiastic Beginning

I started by checking out every beginner gardening book I could get my hands on, reading like I was back in class except just this time surrounded by plants instead of papers. YouTube quickly became my side teacher, too. I watched other beginners make mistakes (and some amazing recoveries), picked up tips, and eventually started trusting my own instincts a little more each day. I even created a small project board to keep track of books, ideas, and journal notes.

What’s funny is, this lined up perfectly with the shift I’d already started making in how I learn. I’d decided to take a step back from traditional college courses for now and focus more on hands-on learning—certificates, free workshops, and creative projects that felt more personal and practical. Gardening just happened to be the first thing that fit that new approach. I didn’t plan it that way, but looking back, it makes perfect sense that it was me learning by doing, in the most grounded way possible.

| Watch My YouTube Garden Journey Playlist

Early enthusiasm met reality pretty quickly. My apartment didn’t get enough light for microgreens, and I definitely didn’t have the budget for fancy gadgets. That first microgreen failure hit harder than I expected. It stirred up an old, now conscious, belief that maybe I couldn’t succeed at anything new, that I somehow didn’t have enough of something.

But then I caught myself. This was just one attempt. I hadn’t even planted the other seeds yet, so how could I already decide I wasn’t good at this? My curiosity turned out to be stronger than that old narrative. So, I composted the microgreens, planted the rest of the seeds, and kept going. I learned to work with what I had, and that was enough.

🌱Slowing Down and Pairing Back

Eventually, I realized my big indoor lush garden dreams had to be scaled down. Instead of trying to grow everything inside, I shifted my focus to the back patio. That small decision changed more than I expected. It got me outside again. Truth be told, I’d been feeling a bit stagnant indoors, and I really needed that gentle push to reconnect with the outdoors. Even just stepping out to catch the sun or check the plants in the shade became part of a simple, grounding rhythm. I was craving a new kind of routine, one that helped me feel rooted again after outgrowing my old indoor habits.

🌱What I Planted & How They Fared

I planted cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, pickling cucumbers, sage, thyme, basil, parsley, mint and butter lettuce. Some were a surprise in the best way: the cherry tomatoes and jalapeños bloomed beautifully, and the cucumbers were perfect little pickling size. Others gave me learning moments: basil and mint got stuck in its starter soil, thyme and butter lettuce struggled, and sage grew slowly above ground but developed strong roots—a little hidden victory for next season.

Even with mixed results, I celebrated the little wins. Each tiny bloom, each new leaf, or strong root made me happy and reminded me that every success counts, no matter how small.

🌱Growing Season: Trials and Discoveries

I kept things pretty reasonable while experimenting, only buying what I really needed as the season progressed.

Here’s a snapshot of what went into my first micro-garden:

• Seeds (Ollie’s 8-pack): $8

• Pots (11 assorted sizes, Ollie’s): $60

• Potting soil (6 bags at ~$7 each, Ollie’s): $42

• Perlite (1 bag, Lowes): ~$8

• Dollar Tree gardening tools: ~$7

• Vegetable spray fertilizer (Ollie’s): ~$5

• Starter plants (5 at $5 each): $75

• Bamboo sticks (5, Lowes): ~$10

• Green trellis gate (Lowes): ~$15

Total estimated cost: ~$185 (March-September)

Along the way, I learned that gardening isn’t just about planting seeds, it’s about adapting. When whiteflies showed up on the cucumbers, I found myself in a daily routine of soapy water sprays and careful pruning to keep them under control. Then came the squirrels, who apparently decided my pots were the perfect place to dig. A few bamboo sticks and a trellis gate later, I had a working (and surprisingly stylish) solution. I also discovered that repurposing what I already had, like starting seeds in water jugs, using hot-glued burlap pots, and recycled containers, saved money and gave my plants room to grow between upgrades. In the process, I was reminded that resourcefulness always brings out my best kind of creativity-the kind that solves problems while having a little fun doing it.

| Small Beginnings TikTok Post

Frequent transplanting taught me patience, as each move slowed growth while giving plants time to reestablish their roots. Aerating the soil, adding perlite and fresh topsoil, and creating little borders around the plants all became part of the hands-on learning process. Even finding the forgotten watering pot in the shed felt like a small, victorious moment. Through all the hiccups and tiny victories, the season became a mix of lessons, laughs, and little harvests that made every bit of effort worthwhile.

🌱Lessons in Growth

Pruning and caring for the plants taught me patience and attention. Cherry tomatoes bloomed later than expected in Zone 7a, but that didn’t mean failure. The sage may not look impressive above ground yet, but the roots are strong, a quiet, satisfying win.

Celebrating small things like the first tomato, a teeny jalapeño, or a perfectly round cucumber made the process fun. My husband’s jokes and eventual participation added laughter and support. This first micro-garden showed me that growth whether plant or personal, is rarely straightforward, but noticing the small wins makes it worthwhile.

🌱Looking Forward: Seeds for Next Season

Next season, I’ll start with larger pots and use what I’ve learned about spacing, soil, and sunlight. I’m thinking about raised beds or a small greenhouse, but even if I stick with the same setup, I know what to expect now.

Long-term, I want to grow year-round, indoors and outdoors, using intuition, observation, and what I’ve learned. My garden journal will continue, maybe even turning into the early pages of a book—capturing not just what grew, but how it made me grow.

| Squash Soup w/Cherry Tomatoes on the side.

🌱Closing Reflections

I believe my most important lesson was this: deciding that the small wins along the journey were more valuable than the harvest itself. The harvest was simply the bonus-a quiet tribute to a job well done…enough.

To anyone starting their first garden: start small (especially if your capacity or environment feels limited), work with what you have, stay curious, and laugh at the chaos. Enjoy the little wins. Watch your plants grow, make mistakes, and celebrate even the smallest sprouts—because those are the moments that truly matter.

Additional links connected to my gardening journey:

• Container Gardening Playlist
• First Pruning Practice
• First Jalapeño Bloom 
• Taste Testing My First Cucumber

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