Bailey Van Tassel

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29 Aug 2018
Gardening

Why Urban Farming?

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you may be asking yourself, “Why the urban farming thing? Why all the gardening?” It’s become a huge passion (err, obsession), and my husband thinks I’m spamming everyone. For better or for worse, it’s here to stay. 

So, what’s the deal with the urban farming thing? I’m so glad you asked!

I grew up on a hobby farm, or a ranch, whatever you want to call it. We had a few acres, horses, mules, chickens, a pet lamb once (I’ll tell you the story sometime over drinks), dogs, cats, pigs, etc. and of course a rose garden and a potato patch. I don’t actually remember the potato patch, but my Aunty Pammy says it was there, so it was there. 

I actually resented the whole situation as I was growing up because I just didn’t understand it. I felt like I had so many chores, and that life was so boring. I was an only child living in a semi-remote area, and while all the cool kids were going to the mall in their white platform sneakers, I was trying to scrape horse manure off my Payless shoes and shake hay out of my hair. Not cool. Or so I thought at the time (cue God laughing). 

As the fates would have it, I got my fix of city living by way of five years in San Diego and Los Angeles, and it did just what my parents promised it would: got old. Fast. However, I ended up in Orange County, CA, and now have accumulated over ten years in the Southland. 

I always promised myself that I wouldn’t raise my kids here. I just wouldn’t. Too many pressures and way too many Range Rovers. 

Cue God laughing yet again, as I have a one year old son now and we are still in The OC. 

After years of complaining about wanting a garden and a big yard and space and land and acres and a new life, I decided it was high time to start doing and stop planning. So I bought a teeny tiny one pot garden with six plants in it.

The truth is that I have this deep rooted belief that character is built outside, with your two hands. It requires imagination, resourcefulness, honesty, and nature. Convenience and comfort need not apply. I fear deeply that my kids, if raised in a society that rewards external riches, will not reach the potential they could if life was more simple, more real, or more deep. 

So, I took matters into my own hands, and started with what I had – minimal space, but a big heart for home cooking and home growing. That morphed into something much bigger, and now I am a bonafide FARMER! Okay, maybe not quite. More like an urban homesteader in the making. 

I’ll tell you what – it’s sticking. My son already drags a watering can out to help, and ADORES playing in the garden beds. He craves the outdoors, and sits by the door to go outside at least a dozen times a day. I couldn’t be happier about it. Let him eat all the dirt.

I have a story to tell, per the usual, and will share more. Like all good tales, there are some twists and turns, but the takeaway is this: start where you are, with what you have, and the rest will fall into place. 

TAGS:homegrownhomesteadurban farmurban farming
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Hi I’m Bailey

Hi I’m Bailey

Teaching you how to grow veggies in any space while show you how to live a garden-inspired life.

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Edible flowers are a garden staple for me. I’ll grow any and ALL of them. 

Up first in this little series: flower ice cubes. As simple as putting flowers in the ice cube tray, filling it with water, and then freezing! 

It’s making mocktail hour very festive around here! 

Flower featured: dianthus. I grow it as a perennial and while I love it, the petals get separated when you destem them and they’re a bit fragile so I prefer to use them this way or fresh. 

#edibleflowers #eatyourflowers #dianthus #mocktails
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
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Follow

Edible flowers are a garden staple for me. I’ll grow any and ALL of them.

Up first in this little series: flower ice cubes. As simple as putting flowers in the ice cube tray, filling it with water, and then freezing!

It’s making mocktail hour very festive around here!

Flower featured: dianthus. I grow it as a perennial and while I love it, the petals get separated when you destem them and they’re a bit fragile so I prefer to use them this way or fresh.

#edibleflowers #eatyourflowers #dianthus #mocktails

1 day ago
View on Instagram |
1/4
A tiny pollinator garden! In the dead heat of summer ☀️

I planted a meter lemon (which, yes, will be great in this pot forever) and some fennel for the giant swallowtail butterflies. Then parsley which attract the black swallowtail butterfly, and Pentas which will give nectar to all the hummingbirds and bees and butterflies. 

I filled the very bottom of this pot with some rocks, then added a bag of citrus mix soil (good drainage) and potting soil above that. It’s just what I had laying around. 

I chose to place the parsley behind the citrus for a little shade and then the fennel on the sides and the pentas up front. 

Hope this is helpful for any of my small spacer gardeners - there’s so much you can do in one pot! 

#pollinatorgarden #gardeninginspiration #smallspacegardening #urbangardening #urbangarden #urbangardener #gardendesign #gardenlife
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

A tiny pollinator garden! In the dead heat of summer ☀️

I planted a meter lemon (which, yes, will be great in this pot forever) and some fennel for the giant swallowtail butterflies. Then parsley which attract the black swallowtail butterfly, and Pentas which will give nectar to all the hummingbirds and bees and butterflies.

I filled the very bottom of this pot with some rocks, then added a bag of citrus mix soil (good drainage) and potting soil above that. It’s just what I had laying around.

I chose to place the parsley behind the citrus for a little shade and then the fennel on the sides and the pentas up front.

Hope this is helpful for any of my small spacer gardeners – there’s so much you can do in one pot!

#pollinatorgarden #gardeninginspiration #smallspacegardening #urbangardening #urbangarden #urbangardener #gardendesign #gardenlife

2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/4
It started on a dead patch of lawn, which I turned into two raised beds. 

And now after *years* of research, trial, moves, waiting on global pandemics to end (♾) we have a garden with 10 beds, an arch trellis, a potting bench, and 8 hours of sun! 

Honestly, my husband has pushed me to not half-ass it. I like progress over perfect, and without his help and nudging I’d just have thrown some seeds in the ground and called it a day. Which is totally fine, and so very good enough. 

But he knew I wanted a specific place. A room. A setting for my dreams. A location that beckons visitors and creates admirers not for the sake of ego, but to inspire into appreciators of the garden in general. 

So, go all in on yourself. Don’t half ass it. 

#gardendesign #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #liveauthentic
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

It started on a dead patch of lawn, which I turned into two raised beds.

And now after *years* of research, trial, moves, waiting on global pandemics to end (♾) we have a garden with 10 beds, an arch trellis, a potting bench, and 8 hours of sun!

Honestly, my husband has pushed me to not half-ass it. I like progress over perfect, and without his help and nudging I’d just have thrown some seeds in the ground and called it a day. Which is totally fine, and so very good enough.

But he knew I wanted a specific place. A room. A setting for my dreams. A location that beckons visitors and creates admirers not for the sake of ego, but to inspire into appreciators of the garden in general.

So, go all in on yourself. Don’t half ass it.

#gardendesign #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #liveauthentic

5 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/4
I love this plant. Calendula is an edible and medicinal flower that self sows quite well. I haven’t had it growing in my garden in about 6 months, and yet here she is! 

She likes a cooler season, but apparently end of July works too! Once I saw this volunteer pop up, I immediately started the rest of my seeds. 

Follow natures queues to best learn your own garden. Mama 🌎 knows best. 

Hoping for a big calendula year to make salves for friends and family. We love it for cuts, burns, and irritated skin. 

Oh and then there’s the pure unadulterated joy of calendula flowers adorning a cake or salad. She’s a queen, this one. 

#calendula #edibleflowers #medicinalherbs #herbalism #slowliving #livesimply
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

I love this plant. Calendula is an edible and medicinal flower that self sows quite well. I haven’t had it growing in my garden in about 6 months, and yet here she is!

She likes a cooler season, but apparently end of July works too! Once I saw this volunteer pop up, I immediately started the rest of my seeds.

Follow natures queues to best learn your own garden. Mama 🌎 knows best.

Hoping for a big calendula year to make salves for friends and family. We love it for cuts, burns, and irritated skin.

Oh and then there’s the pure unadulterated joy of calendula flowers adorning a cake or salad. She’s a queen, this one.

#calendula #edibleflowers #medicinalherbs #herbalism #slowliving #livesimply

6 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/4

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