I'm thrilled to be sharing a recent interview I did with Luisa Hammett of Peaches to Pearls. Luisa was born in Colombia, South America, and raised on 30A, Florida before she became an Atlanta lifestyle blogger. Luisa and I share a love of gardening, but she also raises chickens; something that I would love to do next spring.
Not only is Luisa a blogger, wife and mother of two, she is also a registered dietician with a master's in nutrition. I love following along with Luisa on her gardening and chicken journey, as well as seeing all of her pretty recipes.
1. How did you get started with gardening? What's your one piece of advice for someone who is just starting out with gardening?
I started gardening when I was in graduate school with a tiny herb garden in my apartment. I grew basil from seeds and then didn’t want to eat them because they were my babies!
Unfortunately they all died after the first freeze so I learned a valuable lesson to always eat what you grow!A piece of advice I would give to someone starting out would be to start small. An herb garden is a great way to learn how to care for a garden. Once you feel comfortable with growing herbs, move to bigger projects!
2. What are some of your favorite things to grow and why?
My favorite things to grow are vegetables and small potted flowers. There is so much pride in making a meal knowing that everything came from your garden. The same applies to beautiful flowers sitting in a vase. You love them a little more when you know they came from your garden.
3. How did you get started with chickens? How much time does it entail each day? Do you have recommendations for people who are trying to decide to take the leap and get them?
Growing up we had a few chickens but I never truly embraced them until I raised my own. Two years ago I decided it was time to start a small backyard flock for my family. We quickly fell in love with our new pets and their fresh eggs.
Our daily chicken chores include giving them fresh food and water. At night we also make sure they are safe inside their coop. Once per month I clean out their coop but other than that they are pretty self-efficient. The biggest piece of advice I can give someone considering raising chickens is to do plenty of research.
Chickens are pets that require a 6-8 year commitment. They are pretty low maintenance but you have to be prepared to take care of them if they get hurt or sick. If you are comfortable with handling chickens and are ready to give them a loving home, go for it! I can promise you that they will bring you so much joy!
