Community of Gardens

Description

As a child Heisi watched her father grow various vegetables in their backyard in Washington, D,C. It was then that she realized she would like to follow in her father’s footsteps and grow a garden of her own. Though her father was an expert in gardening, the real question is whether Heisi inherited that expertise. The interview took place at Heisi’s house in Washington, D.C. on May 19, 2014.

Nathalie: Do you have a garden yourself?

Heisi: Yes I do, a fruit and vegetable garden.

Nathalie: What type of fruits or vegetables do you grow?

Heisi: Cucumbers and Tomatoes. I wanted to start out small.

Nathalie: What made you start gardening?

Heisi: My dad actually likes to garden and so I wanted to do something that we both can do together as a family.

Nathalie: Do you garden all year round or just on certain seasons?

Heisi: Only on the warm seasons, spring and summer.

Nathalie: Can you share with me your routine for the spring and summer regarding the garden?

Heisi: In the spring, I can water and tend to it at any time of the day and in the summer we usually have to wait until night or for the weather to cool down to water it.

Nathalie: How long have you been gardening?

Heisi: This is my first year but my father has been gardening since I was a little girl.

Nathalie: Do you use any type of chemicals in your garden?

Heisi: I use an earth-friendly fertilizer that we get from an organic shop in Takoma Park [Maryland].

Nathalie: What do you enjoy most from your garden?

Heisi: I love watching them [the plants] grow but it makes me sad to have to cut them off sometimes because they’re just so pretty.

Nathalie: Do you eat the fruits and vegetables or sell them?

Heisi: I usually put them on salads. I can't make that much to be able to sell them.

Nathalie: What would be your advice for beginners like yourself?

Heisi: To just start off small, do your research and to not give up if your first attempt was a failure. My first attempt was a success due to my fathers help and his advice on taking care of a garden.

Nathalie: Anything else you would like to share?

Heisi: I think anyone who has the time and space should start their own garden to help the planet and help eliminate some of those chemicals you get from store-bought foods.

-Story contributed by Nathalie D., student at Paul International High School in Washington, D.C., May 2014.