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Meet @SnickelFritty! A Woman Addicted to Urban Homesteading in Atlanta

In urban Atlanta, Lisa or @snickelfritty as her Instagram followers know her by, is growing everything from fruits & vegetables to herbs and edible flowers! She also has made a hobby of raising chickens, and preserving her harvests. 

Do you have any stories of mistakes you've made when you first started gardening that you want others to know about? 
Absolutely! Once I planted an entire bed full of corn, waited 100 days, and not a single kernel came. There were some ears, but no actual kernels. Total failure. This was devastating because I love corn! But really, things like that happen all of the time. I truly believe that if I'm not failing, then I'm not trying hard enough. I'm always looking to learn new things, and personally I learn the best by actually doing. I get inspiration from somewhere, maybe by seeing something online or while I'm traveling, and then I do some research, and then I go home and try it myself. Many times it is a shot in the dark, and I make mistakes along the way. Sometimes it works, but sometimes I fail and have to adjust my process and try again. While I certainly enjoy a successful outcome, it is tremendously important for me to understand the process as well. I can probably blame my background in research for that! When you're experimenting, mistakes and failure are inevitable. The trial and error aspect of gardening and homesteading is a large part of why I love the lifestyle. It just really suits me personally. There is plenty to learn - seemingly endless things to try! And, it is really important for me to find my own way. What works for someone else might not work for me - we all live in different climates, have our own unique soil, pest problems, and varying levels of time and energy to devote to our hobbies. Finding what works within my own unique limitations is a constant experiment, and a big part of why I am drawn to this lifestyle. It is an exciting challenge.

I also think it is really important to have a clear idea of what success or failure is at the start of a project. For example, is success actually eating my own homegrown raspberries this year? Or is it simply getting them to establish a few canes, and maybe set some fruit regardless if it ripens in time? Depending on what conditions I am dealing with, that could be a big accomplishment for the first season!
 

What are some of your greatest rewards with a lifestyle such as the one you live? 

One of the most rewarding things about growing my own food is the incredible variety available to me, and the sense of autonomy I have from knowing where my food comes from. America's food system is deeply flawed. There is vast world of fresh food out there, outside of what we see in our grocery stores. Even with a small space, we can all have more control over our food, and enormous variety at our fingertips! This is part of why I enjoy sharing my lifestyle on social media - there is a huge community engaging in growing their own food. The information sharing is really inspiring.
I am also constantly rewarded by a deep feeling of accomplishment which comes from growing my own food and sharing it with the people I care about. It feels like such an achievement when I spend time researching, planning, and physically working towards a goal, and it all leads up to something that I can be proud of and share with others (and actually eat!). It is literally the fruit of all that labor! Also, learning is a big reward for me. Even if I don't have an actual vegetable to eat or give to someone else, I probably learned a lesson from my mistakes which I can write down or pass along to others.


What are your favorite crops to grow on your little Atlanta Urban Homestead?I'm addicted to tomatoes. Hands down they are my favorite thing to grow, anywhere. This is more about the crop than the actual fun of growing them - I think tomatoes from the store are an entirely different fruit, and I don't enjoy the taste or texture. I refuse to eat them. But homegrown tomatoes are out of this world! My dad always grew tomatoes when I was young, and every summer I would wait so impatiently for them to ripen, I could hardly contain myself. Tomatoes are a huge part of what motivated me to start growing food myself, in fact they were the first thing I ever planted. Once I moved away from home, I needed my own homegrown supply!


I had no trouble growing them when I lived in California. But now, in Atlanta, growing tomatoes can actually be pretty challenging. Especially because for the most part I aim for high volume in a small space. I'm always cramming lots of plants in together because I can't seem to limit myself on the varieties - that is a mistake I make repeatedly! They definitely produce, but I probably make the process harder on myself than necessary because I really push the limits. In my front yard garden, I trellis most of my tomato plants up 10 foot tall vertical trellises at the head of my raised beds. This way I can grow many different varieties in a small space. But small space gardening can be a ton of work - I'm always out there pruning away, and battling all kinds of bugs and various diseases from the humidity we have in Atlanta. It's worth it for me though... nothing beats a perfectly ripe homegrown tomato!
 
Since living in Atlanta, I've also been exposed to some really interesting new vegetables. I think its very important to grow plants that are native to the area. I'm always giving that advice to people when they ask what plants to grow -- you have to really take the individual variability of your microclimate and soil type into account when choosing specific varieties. It truly cuts down on maintenance and increases yield. Not surprisingly, "southern" crops are the ones that do the best in Atlanta, at least for me. I had never grown okra or cowpeas before moving to Atlanta, and now I love them!

Follow @snickelfritty on Instagram! 

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👇 MORE ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS 👇 

SPRING & SUMMER GARDENING:

Spring Gardening Chore Checklist - View

Herbs & Veggies to Plant NOW for a Summer Garden - View

Heat Loving Veggies & Herbs You Can Grow RIGHT NOW in Summer! - View

12 Plants That You Can Grow This Summer To DETER Mosquitoes - View

Have a Better Summer Garden With These 7 Tips! - View

 

FALL & WINTER GARDENING:

5 Fall Vegetables Worth Growing In Containers This Year - View

Grow a Fall/Winter Harvest - Plant these seeds in July/August - View

Planting a Fall Garden. Step-by-Step - View

How to Store Vegetables for Winter - View

10 Vegetables You Can Over-Winterize - View

19 Frost Hardy Vegetables to Plant this Fall - View

Fall and Winter Gardening Made Easy - View

16 Crops To Plant NOW for Fall! - View

15 Vegetables You Should Be Planting NOW for a Fall Harvest - View

Tips for Starting Your First Fall Garden & 19 Crops That Can Withstand Freezing (or almost freezing) Temperatures! - View

Gardening Chores for January - View

Our TOP 10 Favorite Fall & Winter Gardening YouTube Videos! - View

19 Crops You Should Try Growing This Fall or Winter - View

TOP 9 QUICK GROWING CROPS FOR FALL & WINTER - View

It's Winter!  What to do in the garden now?! - View

Most Popular Seeds to Plant Now for Fall/Winter Gardening - View


SEED STARTING:

6 Tips That Every NEW Gardener Should Know  - View

Tips for Successfully Starting Your Seeds Indoors - View

Egg Carton Seed Trays - View

Use Muffin Tins To Start Your Seeds In! - View

How do I Know Which Seeds to Direct Sow and Which to Seeds to Start Indoors? - View

How to Get Better Germination From Your Seeds - View

9 Steps to Harden Off Seedlings - View

7 Tips For Using Rockwool To Start Your Seeds - View

Are you starting enough seeds? - View

What's the proper way to thin seedlings? 🌱 🌱 - View

Seed Planting & Spacing Cheat Sheet - View

WAIT!  Don't start these seeds indoors yet! - View

OK!  It's time to start these seeds indoors NOW! - View


RAISED BED GARDENING:

Tips on Building Perfect Raised Beds! - View

How to make a Hugelkultur Bed & What the heck is a Hugelkultur? - View

Great Materials For Making Raised Beds! - View

Build The Benefits of Raised Beds - View

How To Plant a Straw/Hay Bale Raised Bed - View


CONTAINER GARDENING:

5 Simple TIPS to Growing Herbs in Containers - View

6 Tips for Gardening in Containers - View

9 of The Best Vegetables to Grow in Small Gardens  - View

5 Fantastic Tips for Watering Your Container Garden - View

Small Space Gardening Ideas For Your Boat or RV - View

 

RANDOM POSTS:

Why You Should Join a Community Garden - View

Inspirational Gardening Quotes! - View

How To Make A Bean Teepee - View

How to Build a Vine Tee-Pee - View

How To Grow & Care For Your Strawberry Plants - View

How to Grow Perfect Parsnips - View

How Do You Cure Potatoes? - View

How To Tell When An Eggplant Is Ripe - View

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Squash Blossoms - View

4 Easy Steps to Dry & Cure the Small Ornamental Gourds You Grew! - View

8 Gardening Hacks You Need to Know - View

Tips for Growing More Food Indoors, All-Year-Long! - View

Everything you need to know about gardening through all the seasons - View

14 Green Fruits and Vegetables You Should Be Eating - View

How to Use a Mason Jar as a Cloche - View

Are You a First Time Gardener? Start Here! - View

5 Season Extension Techniques for Year-Round Gardening - View

32 Edible Perennials (or plants that can ACT like Perennials!) - View

How to Grow Your Own Salsa Garden - View

How To Make a Pizza Garden - View

How To Successfully Plant a Straw/Hay Bale Garden - View

The Secret to Building a Salad Keyhole Garden - View


SPROUTS & MICRO-GREENS:

How to Grow Sprouts at Home *Without Soil*  - View

How to Sprout Wheat Berries at Home in a Mason Jar - View

How to Grow Sprouts Easily at Home Using a Mason Jar-View

Micro-greens! The Benefits are anything but MICRO! - View


ANIMALS & PETS:

What to Plant for a Pet Friendly Garden - View

Which Plants Do Bunnies, Cats, Dogs, and Chickens Like to Eat? - View

How To Supplement Your Animal Feed by Growing Fodder at Home - View


WATERING:

Ways To Conserve Water in Your Vegetable Garden - View

8 Tips on How to Water More Efficiently - View


COMPOST, MULCH,  & SOIL AMENDMENTS:

Composting DO's and DON'Ts - View

18 Things You Should Never Compost - View

Your Vegetables Like Coffee, Just As Much As You Do! -   View

How to Use Coffee Grounds In Your Garden - View

How to Use Eggshells in Your Garden - View

How To Use Seaweed In Your Garden  - View


 


 

PESTS & PROBLEMS // GARDEN CONTROL:

Common Gardening Problems & How to Cure Them - View

How To Attract Beneficial Ladybugs Into Your Garden - View

Common Problems In the Garden and How To Fix Them! - View

3 Ways to Kill Weeds Naturally & Quickly - View

Learn How to Recognize and Prevent Mosaic Virus in Your Garden - View

4 Trap Plants You Should Be Growing To Help Deter Pests - View

8 Ways To Get Rid of Garden Pests (Without Any Chemicals!) - View

Natural Pest Control Methods - View

HELP!  My Plants are Tall, Thin, and Leggy.  What should I do? - View

How to Control Powdery Mildew, the Easy Way! - View

Plant THESE To Attract More BEES! - View

15 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes - View

Plants That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes - View

Use Beer To Kill Slugs - View

BEER = An Effective Method for Slug Control [Who Knew!?] - View

Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow? - View

How do You Use Epsom Salts to Fertilize Your Plants? - View


FLOWERS // HERBS // POLLINATORS:

Treat Your Ailments Naturally With Homegrown Herbs -  View

15 Herbs You Can Grow at Home To Make Your Own Tea - View

10 MUST GROW Plants for Herbal Tea Lovers - View

How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden - View

Top 4 Air Purifying Herbs You Can Grow Indoors - View

11 Easy To Grow Medicinal Herbs - View

Healing Herbs That Anyone Can Grow at Home - View

Top 6 Culinary Herbs You Never Knew You Could Grow Indoors, During Winter! - View

27 Plants That Produce Edible Flowers - View

38 Edible Flowers To Plant In Your Garden - View

PRO Tips for Growing Wildflowers Successfully - View

How to Grow Beautiful and Healthy Sunflowers - View

Save the Bees! Plant a "Bee-Friendly" Garden Today! - View

 

LETTUCE,  SALAD, & LEAFY GREENS:

7 Tips and Tricks for {Fresh} Lettuce {Longer} - View

How to Grow a "Cut and Come Again" Salad Bar Garden - View

Make Ahead "Salad in a Jar”- View

The Secret to Building a Salad Keyhole Garden - View


PEPPERS:

How Hot Will My Peppers Be? Scoville Scale Heat-Ranking for Hot Peppers! - View

Tips on How To Successfully Germinate Hot Pepper Seeds -View

15 Super HOT Varieties Every Pepper Enthusiast Must Try! - View

Tips for Germinating HOT & SWEET Pepper Seeds - View

 

TOMATOES:

4 Ways to Ripen Green Tomatoes - View

Tips for Controlling Tomato Hornworms - View

How to Plant Tomatoes the Right Way - View

How to Make Pickled Tomatoes, In Just 5 Minutes - View

Spank Your Tomatoes! -Get More Fruit on Every Plant- - View

14 Companion Plants to Grow With Your Tomatoes! - View

 

GREENHOUSE:

Tips for Growing Better in a Greenhouse - View


HOOP HOUSE:

How to Build a "Hoop House" for your Fall and Winter Gardening! - View


HYDROPONICS & TOWER GARDEN:

15 Lettuce & Leafy Greens You Should Try Growing Hydroponically - View

80 Plants You Can Grow with Vertical Towers and Hydroponic Garden System! - View

How to Plant a Vertical Tower Garden - View

These are the most popular ways to grow food, Vertically! - View

Aquaponics: Why It Works! - View

Make A Vertical Planter with Terracotta Pots - View

 

SHADE:

How to Grow Vegetables and Herbs in Partial Shade - View

Which Vegetables & Herbs Grow Best in Light - Partial Shady Gardens?  - View


HEAT & DROUGHT:

Heat-Loving Varieties that Grow Great in the Southern States - View

33 Drought Tolerant Crops For Dry or Hot Climates - View

 

DIY PROJECTS:

How To Make Your Own Seed Tape - View

Make Ahead "Salad in a Jar”- View

Make a Tic Tac Toe Game For Your Garden - View

How to Make Watermelon Candy - View

[DIY] Honey-Lavender Luffa Gourd Soap - View

 

CANNING & PICKLING // RECIPES:

Everything You Need To Start Canning Your Homegrown Vegetables! - View

How Do I Can My Homegrown Vegetables? View

Best Crops to Grow For the Home Canner - View

How to Grow & Pickle Homegrown Peas - View

Create Easy Pickled Radishes in Less Than 5 Minutes - View

Which Vegetables are Best to Ferment? - View


OTHER RECIPES:

This is how you make the best hummus dip! DIY Recipe - View

How To Make Amazing Zucchini Chips - View

How to Make a Stuffed Zucchini Crocodile - View

7 Awesome Mint Drink Recipes - View

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven - View

 


 

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