We publish a zine called The Uncomplicated Gardener by Tiffany Deluccia. It’s a small booklet with a big promise: to make gardening feel approachable, doable, and deeply rewarding—especially for beginners.
Whether you're dreaming of a backyard victory garden, craving more food freedom, or seeking a slower, more self-sufficient way of life, this guide offers a grounded starting point.
This zine is all about simplifying the process of growing your own food—no overwhelm, no perfectionism. Just six simple steps to find more joy and success tending plants.
So today, I’m sharing Tiffany’s first step toward becoming a gardener, without overcomplicating it.
Step 1: Name your Why
Why are you interested in growing plants?
These are five common answers to that question. You may find more than one sparks your curiosity—that’s fine. For the sake of keeping things uncomplicated, identify one primary motivation.
Homegrown Taste
You think only homegrown tomatoes are worth eating. You can see yourself wandering outside to pick berries for spring breakfasts. You’d cook with fresh herbs every day if you had them on hand and they didn’t cost so much. You want your kids to like vegetables (Seriously! It happens).
Curb Appeal
You want your home to channel the charming cover of House Beautiful magazine. Thoughtful plantings frame your front door and welcome friends. The exterior of your home has as much personality as the interior.
Personal Retreat
You want a beautiful place to unwind in nature. To eat dinner al fresco surrounded by trees. To play “kitchen” with your kids using foraged ingredients. To read in a hammock beside a sweet-scented shrub. To gather friends around a firepit. Whatever unwinding outside means to you.
Supporting the Native Habitat
You’re concerned about the environment—especially the loss of native habitat for wildlife. You want to save the Monarch butterfly and feed birds their favorite berries. You wouldn’t think of using pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. You value your area’s “sense of place.”
Screen-Free Hobby
You want a hobby that draws you to engage your senses. The feel of dirt on your fingers. The scent of rosemary, lavender, honeysuckle and tea olive. The sound of the wind in the trees, the crunch-crunch of pea gravel under your feet. Feeling your body move. Feeling your soul exhale.
Name it: Why are you interested in gardening?
Once you've determined your reason for gardening, you can confidently proceed to the next steps of becoming an uncomplicated gardener.
Excerpted from The Uncomplicated Gardener by Tiffany Deluccia
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