At night, Sabrinna Duran, junior, cooks dinner with her family using tomatoes, jalapenos and bell peppers grown straight from a little brown box in her backyard. Duran is one of the 18.3 Million new gardeners to start in the past couple years.
“I’d kind of always wanted a garden, so my dad built the box and we got started from there,” Duran said.
1. Saute diced onions and jalapenos on medium heat
2. Add steak, fajita seasoning and herbs and cook on medium heat.
3. Add bell peppers and cook until peppers are roasted.
(Media by Layla Shockley)
She and her family started growing their own ingredients in 2021, and have enjoyed a variety of accessible and pesticide free vegetables every summer thanks to the hobby. Though the vegetables are a useful by-product of her gardening, Duran said she gardens for another reason.
“The best part is that it’s something to do with my mom,” Duran said. “Having that interest to share is really nice.”
Eli Isele, horticulture field specialist for University Of Missouri extension, said growing his own food is well worth it.
“I think that a well grown vegetable in a garden, when picked at the right time, will be much higher quality than anything you see at the grocery store,” Isele said.
There are many resources available to learn more about gardening and to assist new gardeners like the Missouri Botanical Gardens website and the St. Louis Master Gardener community group.
In addition to online and public resources, Isele said he encourages new gardeners to seek advice from peers and senior gardeners in their community.
“It’s a good idea to look at the older generations that have been gardening throughout their life,” Isele said. “They can give the best advice from their experiences.”
Shannon Cancila, special education teacher, also has a special gardening connection with her family. Cancila inherited the hobby from her grandparents who passed down their experience and irises that were more than 200 years old.
“I actually went and lived with my grandma during the school year, and I think I learned a lot working in her garden,” Cancila said.
Since then gardening has been incorporated into her daily life.
“I like knowing exactly what is in the plant and how it gets cared for,” Cancila said.
