Vegetable Gardener, Shannon

Elyria, OH

Shannon

Shannon is an incredibly studious and committed raised bed vegetable gardener who truly enjoys the always-learning aspects of gardening as much as she enjoys entertaining friends and family with the fruits of her hobby. When not working, Shannon is in the garden or learning about gardening. She spends Jan-Feb researching. In March, she starts seeds. And the rest of the growing season, she dedicates to maximizing her ever-increasing number of raised garden beds, kindly built by her husband and partner-in-gardening Lee, and harvesting them daily for new recipes. This year, Shannon is excited to introduce more annuals and perennials, bringing them alongside her vegetables as companion plants in hopes of drawing more beneficial pollinators.

When/How

She Got Her Start

Shannon first got her start in 2018 with a spark of interest from her husband, Lee, who was wanting to grow tomato plants. Lee, a US Army veteran and postal worker, remembers gardening as a child with his parents and grandparents, growing grapes, tomatoes, corn, and melons as far back as he can remember. Around 2018, Shannon’s and Lee’s backyard wasn’t being used for much, and they didn’t have many gardening supplies. Upon experiencing sticker shock when shopping for raised beds, Shannon thought, “Wait a minute, Lee can build this!” From there, a new layer in their relationship developed with Lee as the garden builder and Shannon as the garden keeper. Shannon reflects on her development as a gardener, “I think it’s something that was always there, my husband just brought it out!” Together, they started with 3 backyard raised beds in 2018, and as of 2021, there were at 9 – not to mention numerous and resourceful accent plant displays and seating areas peppered throughout the scene.

why she gardens

Shannon is a certified medical assistant who is constantly focused on growing her professional knowledge. She loves her work, but admits the field can be stressful, and so she finds gardening to be a form of relaxing therapy. Just looking at the garden gives her a sense of accomplishment, not to mention enjoying the food that comes from it and being able to entertain friends and family in the space. For Shannon, the beauty and practicality of vegetable gardening combine to create her ideal state of healthy living. And the same way Shannon pours herself into her profession, endeavoring for new certifications to grow her experience and expertise, is the same way she pours herself into the craft of gardening – always researching, learning, and growing her hands-on knowledge and expertise.

challenges & opportunities

Shannon identifies companion planting and pollinator gardening as her next biggest opportunities for learning and success in vegetable gardening, which can take many forms. Shannon points to her experience growing all/only tomatoes her first year, not knowing how much they would compete with each other for space and nutrients, and how she ended up with lots of blossom end rot and very little edible produce. She now researches and plans for improved success with her “3 sisters” style companion garden where different plant families are grown together to offer mutual benefits. She’s introducing more marigolds, methods for planting herbs alongside low, leafy vegetables, and looking at how she can incorporate more flowering annuals and perennials into her backyard spaces in order to draw important pollinators that will support the success of all of her raised bed vegetable plots and so much more. Where the first several years of vegetable gardening have been very “green” in look and presentation, Shannon is excited to bring more color with the annual and perennial pollinator attractants. When it comes to family, Shannon and Lee are looking forward to getting their 4-yr-old grandson more involved and continuing the love of growing together as a family.

achieving & maintaining success

When it comes to vegetable gardening, Shannon relies on Sevin to help her stay ahead of pest issues that can sometimes develop with leafy lettuces when the conditions are right for it. She also credits good research and daily monitoring for her success. She learned how to start her vegetable plants from seed indoors in late winter/early spring, using heat mats and growing lights to support germination. And whether it’s the seedling early on, or an established plant outdoors later in the season, she looks closely every day, controlling the environment, and monitoring for progress, issues, and of course, produce that’s ready to be harvested!

Advice to New Gardeners

Shannon: You don’t have to start big. Begin with containers, which make it easy to control the environment, keep track of progress, and learn how to address issues. And try different recipes with your homegrown produce – think salads, salsas, tomato sauce; and use the large outer leaves of your cabbage for stir fry meals. Don’t forget the benefits of composting!

why garden?

Shannon: I work in a field that can be stressful, and this is my therapy. It relaxes me to enjoy the beauty, the food, and to sit in my garden and listen to music. It’s just healthy. And there’s just a different taste with it comes out of your own garden…it’s the freshest!

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