Chosen Weeds Farm

10/22/2026

I know what happens the moment you spot a pest in your garden.

Every instinct says GO TO BATTLE.

Trust me, I've been there. For years, my approach to garden problems was hard, fast, and defensive.

But as I've gotten older and gathered a little more life wisdom, something has shifted. My approach to the garden — and honestly, to ALL of life — has started to soften. I can actually feel it in my body.

I've started listening more to what the garden is actually trying to tell me.

And here's what I've learned: everything in the garden has something to say. Even the aphids.

Especially the aphids.

Let's start with the thing nobody tells you — aphids have a #1 benefit.

They are the foundation of the insect food chain. Their presence is basically a dinner bell for the good guys — ladybugs, green lacewings, syrphid fly larvae, parasitoid wasps. Since my aphids showed up, I have seen SO many ladybugs, ladybug eggs, lacewing eggs, toads, anoles, and dragonflies.

Maybe my brain is just tuned in to them now. Maybe there really are that many. Frankly, I don't care. Bring them on.

Here's the truth I want you to sit with:

You don't want a pest-free garden. You want a RESILIENT garden. One that knows how to take care of itself. You and I are simply the managers.

An explosion of aphids isn't necessarily a crisis but does deserve a careful look as it can tell you a lot about what's happening in your ecosystem (yes, your garden, no matter what kind, is an ecosystem whether you realize it or not):

• Synthetic pesticide use disrupting the balance
• Drought or inconsistent watering
• Poor soil conditions — too much nitrogen, not enough organic matter

As I checked these off for myself — no synthetics, really good soil — I landed on the weather as my culprit. A brutally hot, dry summer, one good rain, then right back to hot and dry. Honestly? That's just farming. Some things are outside my control.

So I didn't reach for anything to "fix" it. Not even homeopathy. Not right away.

I'm sit back. Observe, and the the plants, soil, and the bugs do their thing.

When the time comes and I'm actually needed, there are gentle homeopathic tools I can use to nudge the immune system and remind the plant, the soil, and the bugs what they were created to do.

This is just a gentle reminder, the garden doesn't need a knight with a sword.

It needs a partner who trusts it.

And that's exactly what I want to teach you to be.

P.S. If this way of thinking about your garden resonates with you, reply and let's talk. This is exactly the kind of thing we work through together in 1:1 coaching — learning to slow down, observe, and work WITH your garden instead of against it.

P.S.S Next Saturday, October 31, I’ll be hosting a FREE Garden Coaching call from 10-11 AM on zoom. Since cold weather is approaching, we are going to be talking about homeopathic ways you can help your plants with cold snaps. Be on the lookout for that link starting next week.

10/21/2026

Before you grab something to kill those aphids — can I offer you a different perspective?

I know the instinct. You see a pest and every part of you wants to go to battle.

I get it.

But something has shifted for me as I've gotten older. My approach to the garden — and to life — has softened. I've started listening more to what the garden is actually trying to teach me.

You are not a knight wielding a sword in your garden.

You are a partner. 🌿

An aphid explosion can actually tell you a lot:
🌱 Synthetic pesticides disrupting the balance
🌱 Drought or inconsistent watering
🌱 Soil that needs attention

10/20/2026

I found myself doing something this week that I don’t like, AND that I’ve told you not to do.

Comparing myself to others.

Anxiety crept in.
Heart racing, body moving like I want to jump out of my skin.

And then, the aphids and cucumbers reeled me back to my own reality and reminded me who I was.

Ahhh… the aphids, the gift that keeps on giving.

Ok, hang with me for a second as I tell you what I mean, as this pertains to our lives, not just the garden.

This fall I’ve had aphids. I can’t really remember a time when I had them before. Last week I was telling you that the aphids were reminding me that despite what my eyes see and my brain tells me happening in the here and now(like this needs to be fixed NOW), there’s always something going on behind the scene that I don’t always know about, (I.E. The ladybugs are coming, doing their job, and helping to restore balance. You can watch the the video HERE.)

But I was still wondering what was going on, because the aphids can tell you something about your garden ecosystem that needs to be addressed and we don’t want to miss that. Later in the week, I will tell you about that.

So I started doing some research and I found myself scrolling and scrolling. My feed, as you can imagine, is full of gardening stuff. Well, all I see is how all these farmers have these beautiful beds filled with a bountiful harvest.

Guess what my brain does? It starts comparing; I don’t have to tell you where that leads.

But here's the thing, I can do EVERYTHING (or at least everything in my control) “right,” and life might still throw me a curveball.

I could have the best soil, feed the plants in just the right amount (you’re actually feeding the soil, not the plants, but that’s for another day), water appropriately, and still the aphids might come.

Think about where you might be doing this in your own life.

Where are you telling yourself, “This shouldn’t be happening, I just don’t understand what’s going on. I thought I did everything right…?”

Notice what you find yourself doing.
Worrying
Buffering, i.e. scrolling, eating, shopping...whatever “it is” for you; anything to NOT feel the emotions.
Comparing
Notice how that all feels in your body.

Friend, the aphids are saying, “What if nothing has gone wrong? What if this is just the reality of the world we live in?”

So breathe, and notice your body relax a bit when you stop resisting reality.

This isn’t to say there isn’t a problem to solve. But when we try to solve problems from comparison, worry, and anxiety, we miss things. Sometimes, SOMETIMES, things just are, and we need to release trying to control the situation.

We can’t receive/recognize the difference when we are in a headspace of worry and anxiety.

Where are the aphids showing up in your life this week? Send me a DM. I'll respond with a voice message.

Also, take 10 minutes today, put down your phone, breathe, open up your hands and release what isn’t yours to carry

10/19/2026

I caught myself doing something this week that I tell you not to do.

Comparing myself to others.

I was researching the aphids on my cucumbers and ended up scrolling through feeds full of gorgeous beds and bountiful harvests. Anxiety crept in. My heart was racing, and I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin.

Then the aphids reeled me back to reality.

They reminded me that I can do EVERYTHING “right” (the best soil, the right feeding, the right watering) and still have the aphids show up.

So where might this be happening in your life? Where are you telling yourself, “This shouldn’t be happening. I thought I did everything right…?”

Notice what you do next:
🌿 Worrying
🌿 Buffering (scrolling, eating, shopping… anything to NOT feel it)
🌿 Comparing

Now notice how that feels in your body.

What if nothing has gone wrong? What if this is just the reality of the world we live in?

Breathe, and notice your body relax a little when you stop resisting reality.

This doesn’t mean there’s no problem to solve. But we miss things when we try to solve problems from worry and comparison.

Today, take 10 minutes. Put down your phone, breathe, open your hands, and release what isn’t yours to carry. 🤲

👇 Where are the aphids showing up in your life this week?

10/19/2026

Reality at the moment and it feels WONDERFUL

10/16/2026

Tomorrow is the Bridge City Farmer's Market.

I will be out there from 8-11 AM at 101 Parkside along with a whole bunch of greatness.

I still have soaps avaliable, albiet, I have sold out on some scents. Don't forget, once these are gone, they are gone for good, so get them while you can!

Fall veggies are coming on and the eggplants are producing FANTASTICALLY (remember how they has a bad case of spidermites earlier in the year, well, the plants are back bigger and better than ever after homeopathy).

Eggplant (I have lots of eggplant)
Mustard greens (Limited mustard greens)

Potted Plants:
Root B**r Plant
Willow
Bell Pepper Basil
Tumeric

My daughter will also have her photography and single servings of hibiscus for tea. She is doing this to earn money for college.

10/14/2026

Carrots can be a bit persnickety when it comes to germination.

If you have had trouble getting them to grow in the past, here are a few tips for ya.

1. Make sure you are growing in a container or area that has very loose soil. Unlike some tubers, carrots aren’t going to “tough it out,” if the soil is compacted.
2. Plant seeds VERY shallow, in fact, I just sprinkle them on top of the soil (make sure soil is moist before hand).
3. Gently water in.
4. HERE'S THE KEY: Apply a moisture barrier, like wood, cardboard, newspaper. This acts as a humidity dome, traps moisture, blocks harsh heat, and stops the topsoil from forming a crust. The seeds don’t like to dry out. If the top of the soil is dried out, water.
5. They will germinate quickly if kept moist so check in about 3 days and then daily afterwards, remove the barrier once you see sprouts.
6. Water young seedlings, twice daily (especially around here where daytime temperatures can still reach 90 degrees) until established.

Hope this helps!
Happy growing!

If you want more tips like this, make sure you are on my email list. This is the best way to ensure that you see EVERYTHING I post. You can hit the "sign up now" button up top or click the link in the comments section down below.

10/13/2026

Not everything needs to be fixed RIGHT NOW.

This is the lesson the ladybugs want to teach me this morning.

This past week I’ve been feeling a bit of anxiety and overwhelm, maybe even a touch of sadness thrown in.

I could feel it rising up from the pit of my stomach.
I wanted to move frantically and found myself pacing, trying to escape this feeling.
My heartbeat quickened, and I could feel the pounding in my chest.

Then the ladybugs…

They remind me that nothing is broken.

Things are working just as they are supposed to.
There is goodness working in the background that I just can’t see, YET.
All things work together for good.

Let the ladybugs speak to you this week.

Take a deep breath, slow your pace.

Ask yourself, “What is working RIGHT NOW?”

Allow your body to ground into that. Do you feel the difference?

What you JUST DID was allow whatever you were feeling and create space for your current circumstances, even if they’re not so “good,” without trying to escape your own life.

It’s growing your capacity so that uncomfortable emotions stop feeling like a threat to you.

This is exactly why I created the 10 Minute Gardener: a coaching program to help you build that capacity and keep the promises you make to yourself, 10 minutes at a time. If you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through overwhelm, I’d love to walk alongside you. You can click the sign up button on this page for more wisdom like this or message me directly.

P.S. Here is what ladybug eggs look like, in case you didn’t know.

10/12/2026

10/12/2026

Not everything needs fixing.

Nothing has gone wrong here.

There's ALWAYS goodness working in the background that I can't see.

Here is your little reminder from the ladybugs this morning.

Bonus.....I show you what ladybug eggs look like.