Week 4: Notes from the Field
Hello again, AC4D community!
We’re finishing up our second week of interviewing Austin residents about their gardening learning journeys, and we have some themes we’d like to share.
First, here’s a quick glance at where we are in the research timeline:
Next, we’re discovering that a lot of folks have encountered some unexpected surprises along the way, both positive and negative, as they’ve learned how to garden.
While people have shared with us the different learning approaches they’ve taken (from self-taught, to signing up for gardening-focused events and programs), what we’ve found to be illuminating in their stories are the lessons they’ve taken away from their gardening experiences.
Here are some high-level findings accompanied by snapshots and quotes that capture what we’re hearing in our interviews:
1. People gain deeper insight into their personal values when learning how to garden.
Participants are sharing what they’ve learned themselves in the process of learning how to garden, and how these takeaways have either reinforced or shifted their perspective on how they approach other parts of their lives.
“When I was growing up, it was definitely like, I'm not ready yet. I have to be 100% and have to be perfect before I can apply for this, or before I can do this… that kind of mindset is changing more and more.”
– Leah
“I've learned a lot of humbleness and grace. […] Connecting back to [this knowledge as an Indigenous person] feels like work that is multi-layered and multi-dimensional… this is mind, body, spirit. This has the power to heal in all the ways, generationally. It's felt really powerful taking back personal autonomy and control of my own wellness and destiny.” – Jay
2. It’s difficult for gardeners to find the right resources at the right time.
While people are eager to learn more about gardening, oftentimes the challenge is finding the right information when they need it. Gardeners described a common issue of not knowing where or how to start looking for resources.
“I had no idea how many free resources were even available to the community until I was working in that [garden science program].”
– Cara
“There's a lack of education and clear information that is just out in the public… it's not out there, readily accessible. […] [People] don't know where to find the information and they're just like, I don't have a green thumb because all my plants are dying. But what might be the thing, is that they're not working with reasonable plants that are heat resistant. They don't know about the use of compost and mulch, they don't know about all these other factors.” – Jay
3. While gardening fosters community in many ways, it can also stir up tension.
Building community and finding a sense of community through gardening are both things we’ve heard. Yet, something we’ve also come across in our research is that there are gardeners who can behave in ways that are not always community-focused or -driven.
For instance, a SME we spoke with early on, who serves on the board of a community garden, mentioned that members don’t always get along, and sometimes conflicts arise, for numerous reasons. This can range from veggie theft to other petty conflicts. There are even conflict resolution workshops offered for people who are part of community gardens.
Here, Cara shares the juxtaposition of the joy she finds in knowledge-sharing and seed-sharing with fellow gardeners, and then trying to bring attention to a potential gardening issue with other members of a Facebook group, only to be met with hostility:
“Community is one of the biggest things. I've started sharing seeds and trading seeds with people… when I'm able to gift somebody a plant that I grew, or even some seeds that I collected, that's one of the best parts of connection and a community. [But] I posted in [a gardening Facebook group] yesterday, and it was this whole drama. I was just trying to figure out if other people were having the same experience [...] but there were people who were just kind of mean about it [...] like, this is the best way to do it.” – Cara
In another example, Cara shared about other people encroaching on her beds, despite explicitly asking them not to do so:
“We sometimes had issues with the staff… ask them to not touch our garden beds, but they would still spray them [with pesticides or herbicides] because people have their ideas of what they think is best. It's hard to persuade them otherwise, sometimes. […] I feel like it's like raising children… like you're telling somebody how to discipline their child or something, and people get very offended, sensitive about it.” – Cara
4. Gardeners don’t just want their plants to survive – they want them to thrive.
People have described developing a personal connection to their plants and feeling responsible for keeping them strong and healthy.
In one of our favorite anecdotes to date, Sally, a patio gardener in east Austin, describes high-fiving her plants when they’re doing well:
“Sometimes I'll be really upset or have a hard time at work. And these plants are still thriving. I’m giving little high-fives [to them]... ‘Cause they're trying their best, and I'm trying my best, and I'm like, you're doing a good job, buddy.” – Sally
Another gardener, Cara, shared with us that she still drives by the garden she tended to at her last residence to see how her plants are doing:
“I wish I could see them come to fruition. I still drive by [my previous garden] sometimes.” – Cara
Next Steps
This upcoming week, we’re continuing our research by interviewing three gardeners we’ve lined up as well as speaking to two additional SMEs who are part of organizations that offer gardening learning opportunities. We’ll also conduct intercepts at two community gardens in Austin.
We look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks!
Arielle Schoen + Annie Ly
