My 83-year-old grandmother Shirley Anderson says she remembers gardening when she was just 13 or 14.
Eventually, grandma was planting everything and using her green thumb to make every plant grow.
She passed on her gift to my mother, aunts and to me.
Danielle Broadway
Living in Stockton, CA, she grows hydrangeas, gladiolas, impatiens, geraniums, and more.
She described digging through the soil as a form stress relief and watching something bloom as healing.
Its a therapy used by many gardeners.
Pictured: author’s grandmother’s garden
Hill started gardening at a young age.
I started as a wee little one," she says.
“I would go out with my grandmother and my mother; they both had a green thumb.
Courtesy of Kimili Bell Hil
My mom had an indoor urban jungle before we even knew that is what it was called.
They both were avid outdoor gardeners,” she continues.
“So, I have a lot of fun childhood memories of being in the garden with them.
Courtesy of Maya Nicole
My grandmother had a yard full of hydrangeas and all kinds of vegetables.
I continued that tradition in my own yard.”
Her Instagram account,@plantblerd, has found a loyal following.
Natasha Deon
“I was like, you know what?
“I didn’t even know that this whole community existed.
The community Hill is referring to is the beautiful collective of Black women gardeners on Instagram.
If Black women gardeners want to share their garden adventures within the gardening community, they can use hashtags.
Hills @plantblerd page invites other gardeners to use #plantblerd to be featured on her page.
Maya Nicole, known as@thecultivatedsoulon Instagram, plays music for her plants.
But not just any musicshe treats her beautiful botanicas to soulful tunes from her record player.
Some people collect shoes or booksNicole chooses plants.
But not all gardeners need to be pros.
“So, I decided I would start doing something to be more self-sufficient.
Although Deon has just started gardening, there is nothing that this burgeoning gardner isnt growing.
I have a lemon tree.
I have collard greens.
We have okra, strawberries and roses she lists off.
Recently, they ordered collard greens seeds from Georgia that dont usually survive in California.
However, their greens defied all odds.
“Thats why my collard greens that I planted with my mom from Georgia are my favorite.
