What If Your Backyard Could Feed Your Family? | Lynn De Witte

Lynn De Witte shares her journey of growing and harvesting food in her 3,000-square-foot garden at Palmetto Bluff, where she's cultivated a plant-based lifestyle for over 35 years. Her garden, Le Petit Jardin, demonstrates how anyone can grow their own food through patience, learning from nature, and starting small.• Early influences from her grandmother's love of flowers and a nutrition course in the 1980s sparked Lynn's interest in plant-based living• Eating from your garden creates deep philosophical connections to food, gratitude, and mindfulness• Companion planting mimics natural ecosystems - like planting basil near tomatoes to infuse flavor through their roots• Garden design incorporates vegetables, fruits, herbs, and 23 varieties of roses selected for Hardiness Zone 9A• Morning ritual begins with warm lemon and ginger water, followed by cold-pressed juices from garden ingredients• Family participation in harvesting creates meaningful connections and turns meals into stories• Commercially grown flowers often lack fragrance due to breeding for shipping durability rather than scent• Top five plants Lynn would choose: tomatoes, kale, lavender, roses, and basil• Three beginner steps: start with plants you love to eat, use containers or raised beds, and learn your growing zone• Wellness means living in harmony with natural rhythms - "presence over perfection"Visit Le Petit Jardin's open house on May 10th to experience Lynn's garden and artisanal products. All proceeds support a school garden project in Ghana, West Africa. Contact Lynn at [email protected] for gardening advice.