Growing a green thumb

A student takes the first few steps to gardening

Anastasia Andreeva used to describe herself as a “plant killer.” A few short months of dedication transformed the Palo Alto High School junior into a master gardener.

The odd one out in a family of gardeners, Andreeva watched her brother and mother grow a lush garden gifted with she saw as their ever-elusive ‘green thumbs.’ But for those who have not inherited the gardening ‘gene,’ Andreeva can give a few pointers..

She started with the Gamble Garden volunteer program, Dig In The Garden, also known as the “Dirty Knees Brigade.” The progam offers guidance from senior gardeners. Once volunteers are acclimated to the daily tasks — planting new plants, watering, trimming bushes — they are granted greater independence.

“Towards the end, because I’ve worked there for ... two months, I started getting to do my own stuff.” Andreeva said.

Andreeva says the Dirty Knees Brigade also allowed her to meet people she would otherwise not have the chance to speak with. The program hosts all ages, including people who had “already gone through life,” Andreeva says. On one occasion, she met a famous historian who taught her a bit about aviation. Other times she learned when the best food nights were at the senior center.

When her time at Gamble Garden concluded, Andreeva began to pursue gardening on her own. “I’m interested, it’s fun, and I needed something outside, [to] get some sun, exercise,” she says. Her key to success seems to be her season’s calendar: Currently, Damask rose, as well as spearmint, turmeric, and hibiscus are in season. But her start was not all sunshine; she made what she refers to as a ‘classic mistake’ for beginniners: overwatering.

“That kills many, many, many plants, and also too shallow watering,” Andreeva said. “So a lot of times people will do it very regularly, but not enough. They’ll do like, a cup of water. And the problem is, when that soaks into the dirt, you only get the very first few inches. So that means that the roots are very shallow, they don’t go deeper.”

Her advice is to water less often but with more water. Each plant is different, but for the most part, the best thing to do is to drown them once or twice a week.

Another common mistake is buying a plant that is root-bound without unbinding the roots.

“When you get a giant plant, it comes in this little container,” Andreeva said, “It’s meant to grow up and it is way too small for them. You almost always need to put it into a bigger container.“

The Internet offers more in-depth tutorials, but unbinding a plant is relatively simple. You remove it from the pot, scrunch up the roots a bit, and then repot it in a larger container, she said.

These tips are just a few basics for creating a new garden. Although starting your own garden will not save the planet, if many take action, gardening has the potential to help many local pollinators.

“So screw green flat lawns, everyone should just take up full rich gardens,” Andreeva said, “It looks way better.”

text by annelise balentine & arati periyannan