About Julie Saturday: Living off the earth and gardening

I launched a new series to share some of the things that make me, well, — me! I started off talking about my entrepreneurial mindset. But combined with that has been a desire to grow things. I do grow some flowers but it is growing food that I really enjoy. I call that living off the earth

Answering the challenge

For me gardening is a challenge, not only to grow things but to use as many natural ways of gardening as possible. There are two compost bins in the back yard, I am still learning about composting effectively.

I gardened most of my life. There have only been a few times where I lived somewhere that didn’t have a garden.

Gardening is living off the earth

Right after we were married, KMart transferred Bill to upper Minnesota. We ended up in an apartment complex. The owners believed in gardening too and let us use the dirt hill in the backyard to start a garden.

Ever one for a challenge, we didn’t dig a new garden area but used the mountain of earth as our own garden area. I am not sure why we did it but we planted the beans at the top of the hill.

Our current yard has its own challenges because the yard is on a hill. There are multiple different slopes and so we compensated by creating four different sections to the garden, Then we use raised bed strategies to compensate for the clay soil. We rotate crops and document the garden plan for the year in a binder.

This passion for growing things translates to everything else I do.

I try to find natural sources. During the summer months, I also visit the farmer’s market which also creates that same feeling of natural products and choices.

When thing get out of my control

Gardening has taught me many things. I learn how many things are out of my control. If it rains too much or too little, it affects the plants. If it is too cold, things don’t grow as well. I know what I don’t know too.

I asked an expert before I put the wood burning fireplace’s ashes into the garden. Soon I learned I didn’t ask the right questions.

I didn’t know that tomatoes don’t like potash (pot ash). Therefore, my tomatoes had a bad case of blight for many years but it seems to be abating.

In your career, gardening strategies come into play too. See your career as a challenge and an opportunity to continue to grow.

You can’t predict what outside forces will affect your career. Every once in a while, you will make a bad choice and have to adjust.

In gardening, I learned that the more organized I become, the more likely I will be successful.

In your career, preparing in advance will improve your ability to rebound if you do make a wrong choice.