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Why I do what I do and why nature should matter to you too

Permaculture has a mantra regarding water: “Slow it, spread it, sink it”. When it rains, catch as much as you can, buffer it as long as you can and allow it to slowly enter the soil. In the last year I have learned so much more about sustainable food production practices, about how new financing techniques, crypto and blockchain work, and during the Kolektivo festival even more of where we see ourselves in a year. I want to talk a little bit more about the why we are doing this. Let me slow the flow of information down a bit, spread it in digestible parts and let the information sink in.

When you ask people about nature, usually their minds go to the lovely beaches, national parks and snorkeling spots we have on the island. Or, like these days, people mention the unpredictability of the weather, the possible hurricane threats, how rainy seasons used to be more defined or how it did not used to be so hot when they were younger. The fact that nature is changing is seen as an inconvenience, as something detached from us as human beings, not something life altering.

Nature is changing, climate change is and will remain a sensitive topic. One reason why it is sensitive, is because so much of what is changing is outside of our control. More extreme temperatures, more extreme weather events, what can we as tiny humans do? Biodiversity is declining, forests are disappearing, sea levels are rising, what is it to me?

What we should realize is that we as humans are a part of nature, of an ecosystem. According to the National Geographic Society:

“An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. Ecosystems contain biotic or living, parts, as well as abiotic factors, or nonliving parts. Biotic factors include plants, animals, and other organisms.”

That is us right there, under the ‘biotic factors’ umbrella. And what an ecosystem does, it offers us ecosystem services. Like clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink or even salty water to desalinate and drink, plants and animals to eat. Forests and oceans absorb CO2, offer us recreational options and offer medicines.

When our ecosystem degenerates, our way of life will come under pressure. Arable land will become scarce: with rising sea levels, populations will move to available land and with more extreme weather events crops become less certain. Food production is already under pressure: droughts and floods, diseases, political unrest, you can feel it in your pocket in the grocery store. With intensive agriculture, the quality of the soil declines. The crops that are produced have a lower caloric value, are less filling and nutritious.

When you go to a restaurant and get good service, you give a good tip. Why don’t we value the services that nature is giving us in a similar way? Why are we not putting more effort in making sure, that these life sustaining services are still around for generations to come?

Because that is the key. We don’t just want to sustain the life we are living, and hope that the next generation can do the same. We want to improve the way we are living and ensure that the next generations have the tools and handles to solve environmental decay. We are aiming for a regenerative way of live, restoring the system to improve the outcome.

That is why Kolektivo is backing ecological assets. We started with regenerative food systems, will continue with coral reefs and then move on to mangroves. These are crucial parts of our food chain, coastal protection and a source of potential medical and engineering material we can only start to comprehend.

And for that we need to put our money where our mouths are. You know, the ones you like to eat with. Regenerative food systems, as many other changemaking efforts, are struggling with lack of funding, a lot of skepticism and inadequate resources. We are working on the resources and are proving that it can be done, plot by plot.

When we add value to the building blocks of what we need to survive as a species, not only emotional value, and really start investing in it, you will see that the quality will increase. And then it will become more valuable intrinsically. It will start to become interesting to make and protect more of these building blocks. With regenerative food production becoming profitable, our island will become more self-sufficient. Our food more nutritious and accessible. More jobs will be created, more knowledge will spill over to other endeavors in the vicinity.

Because we don’t just want to survive, we want to thrive. We only have one Earth. Let us be the generation that uses new ideas and technology to tackle this inherited issue and tip the scales towards a regenerative future. Let us slow down the downward spiral, spread the knowledge and let good practices sink in and be our standard way of living.

What We Brought With Us: Invasive Species and Island Life on Curaçao

Papiamentu below

Living on an island shapes almost every aspect of life — including the plants and animals that surround us. Curaçao’s nature is often described as tough, dry, and resilient, shaped by drought, wind, and salty soils. Yet beneath that rugged appearance lies a surprisingly delicate ecological balance, one that has been profoundly influenced by people for centuries.

But why do invasive species matter so much here? The short answer is that islands are uniquely vulnerable — but the longer answer is deeply tied to our own history.

Islands, isolation, and vulnerability

Islands like Curaçao evolved in relative isolation. Over time, this led to the development of species found nowhere else on Earth — endemic lizards, plants, snails, and birds that are finely tuned to local conditions. At the same time, island ecosystems often have fewer predators, competitors, and diseases than continental systems. This combination makes them both unique and fragile.

Scientific research consistently shows that islands are disproportionately affected by invasive alien species. Although islands cover only a small fraction of the Earth’s land surface, they host a large share of global extinctions linked to biological invasions (Masarikova, 2025).

Not all introductions were mistakes

It is important to say this clearly: many species were introduced out of necessity.

Curaçao is arid. Historically, food security depended on importing crops, livestock, and useful plants from elsewhere. Goats, fruit trees, medicinal plants, and crops such as aloe were essential for survival. Some of these species became naturalized and are now part of our cultural landscape.

But introduction rarely happens in isolation.

Plants arrive with soil, insects, fungi, and pathogens. Cargo ships, airplanes, ornamental plants, pets, and even building materials all act as pathways for unintended stowaways. Over time, some of these newcomers escape cultivation or captivity and establish themselves in the wild (van Buurt, 2024).

Understanding the terms: endemic, indigenous, exotic, and invasive

Discussions about invasive species often use terms that sound similar but mean very different things. Endemic species are species that occur naturally in only one specific place in the world — for Curaçao, this includes certain reptiles, plants, and land snails that evolved here and exist nowhere else. Indigenous (or native) species are species that occur naturally in an area but may also be found in other regions; they arrived without human assistance and are part of the original ecosystem. Exotic (or alien) species are species that have been introduced outside their natural range through human activity, whether intentionally (such as food crops or ornamental plants) or accidentally (for example insects arriving with imported goods). Importantly, not all exotic species are harmful. A species is considered invasive only when it spreads rapidly and causes negative impacts on native biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, human health, or the economy. On islands like Curaçao, where ecosystems evolved in isolation and have limited resilience, the transition from exotic to invasive can happen more quickly and with more severe consequences than in continental systems.

When alien becomes invasive

Not every non-native species becomes a problem. Many remain confined to gardens or urban spaces. Others survive but coexist without major impacts. A smaller — but critical — subset becomes invasive: spreading rapidly and causing ecological, economic, or public-health harm.

On Curaçao, well-known examples include invasive plants such as neem (Azadirachta indica) and coral vine (Antigonon leptopus), as well as animals like lionfish in the marine environment. These species can outcompete native vegetation, alter habitats, and disrupt food webs. Invasive alien species have also been linked to declines in coral reef health, increased fire risk, and pressures on endemic wildlife (van Buurt, 2024).

One key insight from recent research is that invasive species thrive especially well in human-modified landscapes. Irrigated gardens, wastewater-enriched soils, coastal development, and disturbed land create refuges where invasive species survive droughts and then spread into surrounding natural areas

A growing challenge in a globalized world

Today, the risk of new invasions is higher than ever. Trade is faster, tourism is constant, and biosecurity measures are limited. Curaçao imports most of its food and ornamental plants, and each shipment represents a potential introduction pathway.

At the same time, managing invasive species is difficult. Once a species is widespread, eradication becomes costly or impossible. This is why early detection is one of the most effective tools we have — a point emphasized repeatedly in both scientific literature and local policy advice.

Why Invasive Species Week matters

This is where Invasive Species Week comes in.

By asking the community to observe, photograph, and document species using tools like iNaturalist, we create a shared early-warning system. Each observation helps scientists and policymakers understand what is present, where it occurs, and whether action is needed.

Equally important, it builds awareness. Invasive species management cannot succeed without public involvement. Many high-impact invasive species are found close to homes, roads, gardens, and beaches — places people visit every day.

Looking forward: shared responsibility

The story of invasive species on Curaçao is not one of blame. It is a story of survival, globalization, and unintended consequences. Crops had to be brought in. Trade was unavoidable. But with better knowledge, coordination, and community engagement, we can reduce future risks and limit ongoing damage.

Islands teach us an important lesson: small systems respond quickly — for better or worse — to change. The choices we make today, and the observations we share, can help protect the unique nature that makes Curaçao home.

And that is exactly why your participation matters.

Join the City Nature Challenge Curacao Invasive Species Bioblitz week here!

Biba riba un isla ta forma kasi tur aspekto di bida — i esei ta inkluí e mata i animalnan ku ta rondó di nos. Naturalesa di Kòrsou hopi biaha ta ser deskribí komo no plasentero, seku, i resistente, formá pa sekura, bientu, i tera salu. Pero bou di e apariensia fuerte ei, tin un balansa ekológiko sorprendentemente delikado, un balansa ku a ser influensiá profundamente pa hende durante siglonan.

Pero pakiko espesie invasivo ta hasi tantu impakto aki? E kontesta kòrtiku ta, ku islanan ta únikamente vulnerabel, pero e kontesta largu ta konektá profundamente ku nos mes historia.

Islanan, aislamentu, i vulnerabilidat

Islanan manera Kòrsou a evolushoná den aislamentu relativo. Ku tempu, esaki a kondusí na desaroyo di espesie ku no ta haña na ningun otro parti riba tera — lagadishi, mata, kokolishi, i para endémiko ku ta akomodá na kondishonnan lokal. Na mes momentu, ekosistemanan di isla hopi biaha tin ménos bestia feros, ménos kompetensia i ménos malesanan ku sistemanan kontinental. E kombinashon ei ta hasi nan úniko, pero tambe frágil.

Investigashon sientífiko konsistentemente ta mustra, ku islanan ta afektá di manera desproporshonal pa espesie ekstranhero invasivo. Aunke islanan ta kubri solamente un frakshon chikí di superfisie di mundu, nan ta karga un porshon grandi di ekstinshonnan global konektá ku invashonnan biológiko (Masarikova, 2025).

No tur introdukshon tabata un fayo

Ta importante di bisa esaki kla: hopi espesie a ser introdusí pa nesesidat.Kòrsou ta un isla seku. Histórikamente, siguridat di kuminda tabata dependé di importashon di kultivo, animal i plantanan útil for di otro lugá. Kabritu, palu di fruta, planta medisinal, i kultivonan manera sentebibu tabata esensial pa sobrebibensia. Algun di e espesienan aki a naturalisá i awe ta parti di nos paisahe kultural.

Pero introdukshon kasi nunka ta ta sosodé den isolashon.

Mata ta yega ku tera, insekto, fungi, i patógeno (malesa). Barku di karga, avion, mata ornamental, bestia di kas i asta material di konstrukshon ta sirbi komo ruta pa “pasaheronan” no intenshonal. Ku tempu, algun di e bishitantenan nobo aki ta skapa nan area di kultivo òf kouchi i a establesé nan mes den naturalesa (van Buurt, 2024).

Komprondé e términonan: endémiko, indígena, eksótiko, i invasivo

Diskushonnan tokante espesie invasivo hopi biaha ta usa términonan ku ta zona meskos pero ta nifiká kosnan hopi diferente. Espesie endémiko ta espesie ku ta eksistí naturalmente na un solo lugá spesífiko den mundu — pa Kòrsou, esaki ta inkluí sierto reptil, planta, i kokolishi di tera ku a evolushoná aki i no ta eksistí na ningun otro lugá. Espesie indígena (òf nativo) ta espesie ku ta okurí naturalmente den un área pero por haña tambe na otro region; nan a yega sin asistensia humano i ta parti di e ekosistema original. Espesie eksótiko (òf ekstranhero) ta espesie ku a ser introdusí pafó di nan rango natural via aktividat humano, sea intenshonalmente (manera kultivo di kuminda òf mata ornamental) òf aksidentalmente (por ehèmpel insekto ku ta yega ku produkto importá). Importante pa nota: no tur espesie eksótiko ta dañino. Un espesie ta konsiderá invasivo solamente ora e ta plama lihé i ta kousa impakto negativo riba biodiversidat nativo, funshonamentu di ekosistema, salú humano òf ekonomia. Riba islanan manera Kòrsou, kaminda ekosistemanan a evolushoná den aislamentu i tin resistensia limitá, e transishon for di eksótiko pa invasivo por pasa mas lihé i ku konsekuensianan mas severo ku den sistemanan kontinental.

Ora ekstranhero bira invasivo

No tur espesie no-nativo ta bira un problema. Hopi ta keda limitá na kurá òf área urbano. Otronan ta sobreviví pero ta ko-eksistí sin impaktonan grandi. Un parti mas chikí — pero krítiko — ta bira invasivo: nan ta plama lihé i ta kousa daño ekológiko, ekonómiko òf di salú públiko.

Na Kòrsou, ehèmpelnan konosí ta inkluí matanan invasivo manera neem (Azadirachta indica) i beyísima (Antigonon leptopus), i tambe bestia manera lionfish den e ambiente marino. E espesienan aki por gana kompetensia ku vegetashon nativo, kambia habitat, i desorganisá kadena di alimentashon. Espesie invasivo a ser konektá tambe ku deteriorashon di salú di rif di koral, oumento di riesgo di kandela, i preshon riba founa endémiko (van Buurt, 2024).

Un deskubrimentu klave di investigashon resien, ta ku espesie invasivo ta prosperá spesialmente bon den paisahenan modifiká pa hende. Kurá ku irigashon, tera enrikesé ku awa di berpùt, desaroyo di kosta, i tereno “limpiá” ta krea refugionan, kaminda espesie invasivo ta sobreviví sekuranan i despues ta plama den áreanan natural serka.

Un reto ku ta krese den un mundu globalisá

Awor, e riesgo di invashonnan nobo ta mas haltu ku nunka. Komersio ta mas rápido, turismo ta konstante, i medidanan di bioseguridat ta limitá. Kòrsou ta importá mayoria di su kuminda i matanan ornamental, i kada karga ta representá un ruta potensial di introdukshon.

Alabes, maneho di espesie invasivo ta difísil. Ora un espesie ya ta hopi plamá, eradikashon ta bira kostoso òf imposibel. Esaki ta e motibu ku detekshon tempran ta un di e instrumentonan mas efektivo ku nos tin — un punto enfatisá repetidamente tantu den literatura sientífiko komo konsehonan di maneho lokal.

Pakiko Siman di Espesie Invasivo ta hasi un diferensia?

Aki ta kaminda Siman di Espesie Invasivo ta drenta.

Dor di pidi komunidat pa opservá, saká potrèt, i dokumentá espesie usando instrumento manera iNaturalist, nos ta krea un sistema di alerta tempran kompartí. Kada opservashon ta yuda sientífikonan i esnan responsabelnan di maneho komprondé kiko tei, unda e ta okurí, i si ta nesesario pa tuma akshon.

Igualmente importante, esaki ta krea konsientisashon. Maneho di espesie invasivo no por tin éksito sin involukrashon públiko. Hopi espesie invasivo ku tin impakto haltu ta ser haña serka di kas, kaya, kurá i playa — lugánan ku hende ta bishitá tur dia.

Mirando dilanti: responsabilidat kompartí

E historia di espesie invasivo na Kòrsou no ta un historia di mustra dede. E ta un historia di sobrebibensia, globalisashon i konsekuensianan no intenshonal. Tabatin mester di kuminda. Komersio tabata inevitabel. Pero ku mihó konosementu, koordinashon, i partisipashon di komunidat, nos por redusí futuro riesgonan i limitá daño kontinuo.

Islanan ta siña nos un lès importante: sistema chikí ta reakshoná lihé riba kambio — pa bon òf pa malu. E desishonnan ku nos tuma awe, i e opservashonnan ku nos ta kompartí, por yuda protehá e naturalesa úniko ku ta hasi Kòrsou kas.

I esei ta eksaktamente pakiko bo partisipashon ta importante. Partisipá na City Nature Challenge Curacao Invasive Species Bioblitz week aki!

Paradise Under Pressure: Tourism, Environment, and the Hidden Costs of Growth in Curaçao

Sun-drenched beaches, turquoise waters, vibrant nightlife — Curaçao is often portrayed as a Caribbean success story. Tourism is booming, airport records are broken year after year, cruise ships line the harbor, and politicians proudly announce rising revenues. On paper, it looks like paradise is thriving.

But beneath this glossy image lies a more complicated reality.

Tourism has become the economic backbone of Curaçao, contributing nearly half of the island’s GDP. Yet the same industry that fuels economic growth is also placing increasing pressure on the island’s fragile environment, infrastructure, and communities. While coral reefs often dominate discussions about environmental damage, the true footprint of tourism extends far beyond what lies beneath the waves.

This raises an uncomfortable question: how much tourism can a small island really sustain?

When Growth Is the Only Success Story

Public discourse around tourism in Curaçao is largely framed in economic terms. Success is measured through visitor numbers, hotel occupancy rates, cruise arrivals, and revenue statistics. These figures are easy to quantify, easy to celebrate, and politically attractive — especially in a small island economy with limited alternatives.

Environmental concerns, by contrast, are often treated as secondary issues or future problems. Climate change, ecosystem degradation, and infrastructure overload are acknowledged, but rarely allowed to shape decisions about tourism growth itself. The assumption seems to be that environmental impacts can be managed later, with better technology, more data, or targeted mitigation measures.

This framing matters. What gets defined as “the problem” also defines what counts as a legitimate solution.

Beyond Coral Reefs: The Broader Environmental Toll of Tourism

Coral reefs are undeniably vital — they support biodiversity, protect coastlines, and underpin marine tourism. But focusing on reefs alone obscures the wider environmental consequences of mass tourism on a small, semi-arid island like Curaçao.

Water Scarcity

Tourism dramatically increases water demand in a place where freshwater is already scarce. Hotels, resorts, golf courses, cruise ships, and short-term rentals consume far more water per capita than local households. Desalination makes this possible, but at a high energy and financial cost, further entangling tourism with fossil fuel dependence.

Energy Use and Emissions

Air travel, cruise shipping, air conditioning, desalination plants, and constant construction all require massive amounts of energy. As tourism grows, so does Curaçao’s carbon footprint — even as climate change increases temperatures, sea-level rise, and extreme weather risks.

Waste and Sewage

Tourists generate significantly more waste than residents. Curaçao’s landfill is nearing capacity, sewage treatment infrastructure is insufficient, and untreated wastewater and solid waste still end up in the ocean. Cruise ships add to the problem by offloading waste while docked, shifting environmental burdens onto the island.

Coastal and Land Use Pressure

Tourism development is concentrated along the coast, leading to the removal of mangroves, artificial beach creation, habitat loss, and shoreline modification. These changes weaken natural coastal defenses and increase vulnerability to storms and erosion — precisely when climate risks are intensifying.

Social and Community Impacts

Environmental pressure is inseparable from social pressure. Rising real estate prices, coastal privatization, informal short-term rentals, and unequal access to resources disproportionately affect local communities. The people benefiting most from tourism growth are often least exposed to its environmental consequences.

Why Knowledge Isn’t Enough

Scientific studies, monitoring reports, and climate assessments exist. Researchers have documented reef decline, water quality issues, waste bottlenecks, and climate vulnerability for years. So why does policy remain largely unchanged?

The problem isn’t a lack of knowledge — it’s how knowledge is used, framed, and valued.

Environmental knowledge is often:

  • Long-term rather than immediate
  • Uncertain rather than precise
  • Complex rather than easily translated into policy targets

Economic knowledge, on the other hand, aligns neatly with short political cycles and institutional goals. Visitor numbers go up; success is declared.

Uncertainty plays a crucial role here. Environmental uncertainty is frequently used as a reason to delay action rather than apply precaution. Climate risks are framed as manageable or distant, while economic risks are perceived as urgent and tangible.

Fragmented Governance, Fragmented Solutions

Tourism governance in Curaçao is spread across multiple ministries and agencies, each with its own mandate, priorities, and data systems. Economic development, spatial planning, environmental protection, labor policy, and infrastructure are rarely integrated into a single long-term vision.

As a result:

  • Environmental impact assessments remain project-based
  • Long-term carrying capacity is rarely addressed
  • Policies are reactive rather than strategic
  • Data is fragmented and inconsistently shared

Community participation is minimal, often limited to late-stage consultations where key decisions have already been made. Local and experiential knowledge — from fishers, dive operators, residents, and environmental volunteers — is rarely treated as legitimate expertise.

Rethinking Tourism as a Social and Environmental Choice

The core issue facing Curaçao is not whether tourism is good or bad. It is how tourism is framed.

As long as growth is treated as an unquestioned goal, environmental limits will always appear as obstacles rather than signals. Climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and waste overload are not externalities — they are symptoms of a development model pushing beyond ecological and social boundaries.

For small island states especially, sustainable tourism cannot be reduced to marketing slogans or isolated conservation projects. It requires:

  • Integrating environmental, economic, and social knowledge
  • Applying precaution under uncertainty
  • Valuing local and experiential expertise
  • Shifting from short-term gains to long-term resilience

Paradise, after all, is not just something to sell. It is something to protect — for those who live there now, and for those who will inherit the island in the future.

Results City Nature Challenge 2025

In April 2025, our small island Curaçao made its debut on the stage of the City Nature Challenge. A simple remark between two friends with modest ambitions turned into a movement that surpassed all expectations!

This is yet another example of how a small idea can create a big wave of positive change.

City Nature Challenge Curaçao continues to be organized voluntarily by Cindy Eman, Nadina Galle, and Femi Meaux, in collaboration with schools, NGOs, businesses, volunteers, and government institutions.

The CNC is a four-day global citizen science event, organized by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, that invites people around the world to document local biodiversity using the iNaturalist app.

Founded in 2016, the 2025 edition marked the CNC’s tenth year, attracting participation from more than 600 cities and regions worldwide. Together, they collected over 3.3 million observations from more than 100,000 participants, identifying nearly 75,000 species — of which almost 3,500 were rare, endangered or threatened.

For Curaçao, the CNC was more than just a biodiversity survey: it was a movement to connect people with nature, to empower schools and communities, and to contribute scientific data that will directly benefit environmental policy, conservation, and public health.

Objectives of CNC Curaçao

  • Raise awareness of Curaçao’s rich but vulnerable biodiversity.
  • Engage youth and schools in nature-based science and technology.
  • Empower communities to take ownership of nature conservation.
  • Collect biodiversity data for use in research, monitoring, and policy.
  • Strengthen health and well-being by encouraging people to spend time in nature.
  • Position Curaçao internationally as a leader in Caribbean biodiversity monitoring.

12 Tips for growing your own food

So you want to start growing your own food. I am proud of you already! Many people start with a lot of enthusiasm and find that it is not as simple as it looks and get demotivated and give up. We have all been there. Let us start with some basic plant info: a plant needs air, sun, soil and water to grow. So before you even start, make sure you have these available. And patience, lots and lots of patience.

  • Manage your expectations: Planting is planning! It takes time to get results. Read or look up information of how long a seed should take to germinate and how long it takes before the plant can bear fruit. Find out if a plant can even bear fruit in the tropics, some plants need winters to be able to fruit.
  • Pick the right spot Your plants have their sun hour needs. Make sure watering the plants is not a cumbersome task; if it is a lot of hassle you might give up. Be close to water, but not too close, like under a rain gutter or in an area that floods. Make sure that if you have pets, your garden can be protected. If you have a lot of wind, make shelters for your more vulnerable plants.
  • Prepare your soil Good soil is the key to success. Soil physically grounds your plants and provides the plants with all the nutrients through their roots. Empty, poor soil leads to weak and struggling plants. Cover you soil with organic material to keep the temperature stable and avoid too much evaporation on warm days. Thank you very mulch.
  • Use the right seeds Not everything grows everywhere in the world. You don’t like to eat everything. So think of what you like and source your seeds responsibly. Swap with other growers. Use non-GMO, open pollinated seeds and help the bees. Avoid species that are invasive. You do not want to be the one that brought the next Neem tree to the island.
  • Document what and when you sow Pro-tip: Trust me, you will not remember what and where you planted. And by putting it on your calendar, you can make sure that things are growing according to plan. If germination time is two weeks and already two months have passed, you might want to sow again.
  • Be patient (see the first tip) It will take some time and practice to get results. No, the seeds that you planted three hours ago did not come up yet. And that flower has not turned into a shimaruku yet.
  • Have good water management It is better to err on the side of too little. Too much love water will kill your plants! A thirsty plant you can bring back from the brink of death, but once drowned and rotting roots, there is no coming back.
  • Know your enemies If you know what you are dealing with, you will know how to deal with it. Not all pest and diseases manifest in the same way. And not all are treated the same. Remember there are also beneficial insects in your garden, so treat threats in a safe way for you and them.
  • Be proactive with pest control It will not go away by itself. So when you signal something off, immediately take action. Take pictures and remove whatever is not right and seek advice.
  • Don’t get to attached This is the hardest one: Sometimes you do everything right, and still have no success. Be sad about it for a bit. But then come back with the lessons learned and do it again.
  • Celebrate your wins! Yes, you can make a 1 cherry tomato salad. It is your own, home grown harvest! Enjoy it any way you like.
  • Save your seeds Seeds of plants that have grown in your garden, have proven to withstand the local climate. Not only will you not have to buy seeds again, you will make many friends swapping your successful seeds with fellow gardeners.