We are SO excited about this.
And trying something new at Natural Living Family, and if you’ve followed us for a while, you probably know why.
We have two publications on Substack…
Bible Health is the deep-dive spiritual why.
Natural Living Family is the everyday practical how-to.
You guys ask us about gardening all the time.
What should I plant? How do I start an organic garden? What can I grow in a small space? What do I do about bugs without spraying toxic chemicals everywhere? Why is my basil dying? When should I plant my fall garden? How does Mama Z grow all those herbs?
And for years, gardening has been woven through so much of what we do, but we’ve never had one dedicated place where Mama Z could simply teach you what she knows, show you what she’s doing in our garden and walk through the seasons with you.
Until now…
Welcome to Mama Z’s Organic Gardening Space!
Starting this week, we’re launching Mama Z’s Organic Gardening Space, a new weekly newsletter from Natural Living Family.
Begin with How to Start an Organic Garden…
You’ll get practical, seasonal gardening tips from Mama Z, including things we’re doing in our own garden, lessons we’ve learned through the years, simple DIY solutions, growing tips, herbs, vegetables, flowers, harvesting, seasonal transitions and plenty of behind-the-scenes moments along the way.
Next get a sneak peak into Mama Z’s Organic Gardening Masterclass and watch Lesson 1…
Want Mama Z’s gardening tips in your inbox?
We’re just getting started. This Organic Gardening newsletter is where I’ll be sharing seasonal planting help, organic gardening tips, what we’re growing, mistakes we’ve made and practical ideas you can use in your own garden.
Current Natural Living Family subscribers:
Manage your newsletter preferences to turn Organic Gardening on or off.
Not a subscriber?
Mama Z Was Literally Raised in the Garden
Circa 2008.
Mama Z sold fresh and dried herb mixes with her mom, “Mimi” for over 30 years starting when she was a little girl…
Gardening isn’t something Sabrina picked up because it became trendy. It’s part of her story.
Her mom is a master gardener and herbalist.
Her dad is a PhD agricultural scientist.
So while other kids might have had a few household chores before going out with their friends, Mama Z’s childhood included things like: “Pick 1,000 weeds and then you can get a ride to the mall.”
And yes, she actually counted them.
She grew up learning plants, herbs, soil and gardening from people who understood it deeply.
She also spent nearly 30 years working alongside her mom at the farmers market selling herbs.
So when you hear Mama Z talk about basil, seed saving, harvesting herbs or what to do when something goes wrong in the garden, you’re not getting advice she picked up last week from social media.
This has been part of her life for decades.
And then we started building gardens of our own.
Have a friend that loves to garden or wants to learn?
And Believe Me, We’ve Learned Plenty the Hard Way
We don’t have a picture-perfect farm with perfect soil and unlimited acreage.
When we moved into our current home, there were 29 dead or dying trees around the property and very little usable sunlight in the backyard. We had slopes, standing water, areas that dried out, rocks, roots and plenty of other obstacles to figure out.
Mama Z has learned to garden through all of it.
She has planted things that flourished. She has planted things that failed spectacularly.
One year, she discovered the hard way how much space cantaloupe really requires when it didn’t just take over the garden, it started taking over the side of the house.
That’s gardening. You learn. You adjust. You try again next season.
And that’s exactly the kind of gardening newsletter we want this to be.
Want Mama Z’s weekly gardening tips?
Subscribe to Natural Living Family and you’ll automatically be included in Mama Z’s Organic Gardening each week. gardening tips.
This Isn’t About Having the ‘Perfect’ Garden
Yes, we can grow pineapples in Atlanta, Georgia, just not the way you might think. We root the tops from grocery-store pineapples, grow them in pots, bring them inside for winter, and move them back outdoors for summer.
We only harvest a few each year, but when we do, it feels like a birthday because the plants often give us little “babies” too. There is something so special about finally slicing into a pineapple you have cared for over several years and tasting the fruit of all that patience.You don’t need acres of land.
You don’t need a fancy greenhouse.
You don’t need the most expensive raised beds.
And you definitely don’t need to know everything before you start.
You might have a backyard. You might have one raised bed. You might have a patio. You might have a few pots sitting on your deck.
Mama Z has gardened in all kinds of spaces and climates through the years.
The point is to take the space you have and learn what you can grow there.
Because there’s something incredibly satisfying about walking outside and picking basil for dinner. Or watching your children eat something they helped grow. Or saving seeds from this year’s garden so they can become next year’s plants. Or realizing that the herbs you use in your kitchen don’t always have to come wrapped in plastic from the grocery store.
Gardening connects your family to your food in a way very few things can.
Gardening is fun and great exercise! :)
What You’ll Get From Mama Z Each Week
We’re going to keep this practical.
Some weeks, Mama Z may show you what she’s planting right now. Other weeks, we’ll tackle questions like:
What to plant and when
Growing herbs for your kitchen and natural remedies
Raised beds versus containers
Seed starting and starter plants
Improving your soil naturally
Watering without making gardening a full-time job
Pruning herbs so they keep producing
Organic pest-control strategies
Seed saving and propagation
Small-space gardening
Transitioning from spring to summer to fall
Harvesting and using what you grow
Mistakes we’ve made so you don’t have to repeat them
And because gardening changes throughout the year, this newsletter will change with it.
When it’s time to start seeds, we’ll talk seeds. When the summer heat hits, we’ll talk watering and pests. When fall approaches, we’ll help you figure out what you may still have time to grow.
Think of it as gardening alongside Mama Z through the seasons.
Get Mama Z’s weekly gardening tips!
Subscribe to Natural Living Family and you’ll automatically be included in Mama Z’s Organic Gardening each week. gardening tips.
One Important Note About Your Subscription
Because so many Natural Living Family readers have asked us for gardening content, we’re automatically including our subscribers in these new weekly Organic Gardening tips.
You don’t need to sign up again.
You’re already in.
But we also know gardening isn’t everyone’s thing. If you’d rather not receive the weekly gardening emails, that’s completely fine. You can choose exactly which Natural Living Family newsletters you want to receive by updating your preferences here.
You can keep receiving the Natural Living Family content you love and simply turn Mama Z’s Organic Gardening off.
And if you love gardening? Do nothing. We’ll see you next week. :)
Want to Go Much Deeper With Mama Z?
These weekly emails are just the beginning.
Mama Z also created an in-depth Organic Gardening Masterclass where she walks you through the process in much greater detail, including garden planning, soil, planting, propagation, watering, fertilizing, pruning, harvesting, seasonal transitions, small-space gardening, pest problems and more.
And this isn’t just classroom teaching. She takes you outside and shows you what she actually does.
There is also an older Organic Gardening Made Easy workshop in our archives where Mama Z spent nearly three hours teaching a local group. It’s much more behind-the-scenes and lo-fi, but it’s packed with the kind of practical teaching you only get when someone is actually showing people how they garden.
Both are available to Natural Living Family Inner Circle Substack Subscribers, along with other in-depth masterclasses and live Q&As.
Let’s Grow Something
We’re genuinely excited about this.
Natural Living Family has always been about making healthy living something families can actually do.
Gardening belongs in that conversation.
Not because everyone needs to become a farmer. But because growing even a little of your own food and herbs can change the way you think about what you eat, what you buy and what your family is capable of doing for yourselves.
So whether you’ve been gardening for 30 years or you’ve never successfully kept a basil plant alive, you’re welcome here. 🪴
Want Mama Z’s gardening tips in your inbox?
We’re just getting started. This Organic Gardening newsletter is where I’ll be sharing seasonal planting help, organic gardening tips, what we’re growing, mistakes we’ve made and practical ideas you can use in your own garden.
Current Natural Living Family subscribers:
Manage your newsletter preferences to turn Organic Gardening on or off.
Not a subscriber?
As always, our hope & prayer is that YOU experience the abundant life.
~ Dr. Z & Mama Z
P.S. Know a friend who loves gardening or wants to get started?
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The information is for educational purposes only and not medical advice. Statements about health products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any health product or making changes to your wellness routine.