This blog mainly contains articles about IT and AI, but I also have another hobby that I have continued for a long time.
That hobby is home gardening.
Before I realized it, more than 10 years had already passed since I started.
I am not doing anything especially professional — I simply continue it casually in one corner of my yard without pushing myself too hard.
Only Within What I Can Manage in My Yard
I grow vegetables in my home garden.
Since I can easily water everything with a hose, I do not do anything particularly large-scale.
Rather than managing everything perfectly every day, my basic approach is to do only what I can comfortably continue.
I’ve Been Learning on My Own at a Relaxed Pace
Everything I know about home gardening is self-taught.
At first I learned from books, and more recently I have been learning little by little from YouTube as well.
That said, I am not studying gardening theory very seriously — my style is more about experimenting as I go.
Sometimes things go well, and sometimes they fail, but I enjoy the process either way.
Organic Gardening as Much as Possible
Basically, I try to grow things as organically as possible.
I do not use pesticides, and I also use organic fertilizers and soil conditioners.
However, I am not obsessed with being “completely pesticide-free” or “fully organic.”
I do not carefully trace every fertilizer ingredient either — my approach is simply to do what I reasonably can.
If I try to be too strict about everything, it becomes exhausting, so I prioritize keeping things sustainable and manageable.
Only 10–20 Minutes on Weekdays
On weekday mornings, I only do watering and simple maintenance.
It usually takes around 10 to 20 minutes.
Mostly I remove side shoots or harvest a few vegetables.
Anything more time-consuming is usually saved for the weekend.
I Want Maintenance to Take as Little Time as Possible
Even on weekends, I do not want to spend hours working in the garden.
My basic idea is more like this:
- spend some time on the initial setup
- make ongoing maintenance as easy as possible
That is the way I think about it.
I prefer putting in a little extra effort at the beginning so things become easier later.
“How to continue while minimizing effort” may actually be something shared by both IT work and home gardening.
Before I Knew It, More Than 10 Years Had Passed
That is the relaxed style in which I have continued gardening.
People who seriously practice home gardening might think my approach is rather casual.
Even so, I have somehow continued for over 10 years.
In the end, I think “not pushing yourself too hard” may be the real secret to continuing something long-term.
This Year’s Summer Vegetables
This year, in late April, I planted:
- cherry tomatoes
- cucumber
- green peppers
- bitter melon
- eggplant
- pumpkin
- zucchini
- sweet potatoes (although they will be harvested in autumn)
- okra
and so on.
From now on, I plan to gradually share how each plant is growing and the things I notice from actually growing them myself.
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