How Gardening Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know About Running a Business

Try gardening, you might just learn everything you need to know about building a business.

Sounds crazy, right? I never would’ve believed it either. But hear me out.

About three years ago, I decided I wanted to start a garden. I’d seen videos of people growing these lush, beautiful vegetables in their backyards, and I thought, how hard could it be? So I went for it. No research. No reading. No plan. Just vibes and seeds.

And guess what?
Every single attempt failed. Miserably.

I would throw some seeds into the dirt and hope for the best. And when nothing really happened, I’d get frustrated and walk away, telling myself maybe I just didn’t have a green thumb. But this year? This year, I took a different approach.

In early February, I got serious. I picked up books, binge-watched YouTube gardening channels, asked questions, and talked to people who actually knew what they were doing. I really dove in. And most importantly, I decided I was a gardener.

That was lesson number one:

You have to believe in the identity before the results show up.

I wasn’t “trying to garden” anymore—I was a gardener. The same goes for starting a business. You don’t need permission to call yourself a founder, creator, or entrepreneur. You just have to step into it. As a woman, sometimes I feel like an imposter calling myself the founder. But the reality is that I am, I have built a multi-million dollar business from the ground up, and I deserve the title; I just had to believe it.

Laying the Foundation (Literally)

Once I accepted I was a gardener, it was time to build the foundation. I set up multiple garden beds instead of planting directly in the ground. Why? Garden beds give you structure. They prevent weeds, protect from pests, and create a controlled environment where plants can thrive.

Yes, it’s more expensive upfront. But the long-term payoff? Totally worth it.

That’s business lesson number two:

Invest in a solid foundation, even if it costs more at the start.

Whether it’s software, branding, systems, or the right team, cutting corners early might save money in the moment, but will cost you way more in the long run. 

The Power of Collaboration (aka Companion Planting)

Here’s something cool I learned: plants can help each other grow. For example, tomatoes and basil? Besties. Basil helps ward off pests that would otherwise destroy tomato plants.

That’s when it hit me:

Community and collaboration matter.

Your business isn’t meant to grow in isolation. Partner with people whose strengths balance your weaknesses. Build a team that supports each other. That synergy is powerful.

Expect Setbacks. Secure Your Fence.

So, let’s talk about what went wrong. I was so proud of my little garden bed... until I woke up one morning and found plants ripped out of the ground.

Birds? Nope.
It was my dog.

She’d jumped right in and treated my garden like a personal playground. So, I built a fence. Problem solved, right? Not quite. She got through again. I had to reinforce the fence until it was truly secure.

That’s when I realized:

You’ll face unexpected challenges, protect your assets.

In business, that could be a contract that needs tightening, a website that needs security, or a backup plan for when the unexpected happens. Just like gardening, you have to adapt and reinforce your systems as you grow.

Don't Overfeed or Over-Prune

When my plants started growing, I got a little... overexcited. I dumped a ton of fertilizer on them, thinking more food = more fruit. Instead, it scorched my plants. Some bounced back, but others didn’t make it.

Same with pruning. I cut too many leaves off my pumpkin plant, trying to “optimize” it. The pumpkins shriveled. Turns out, those leaves were doing the hard work of photosynthesis to help the fruit thrive.

Business lesson:

More isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s just... too much.

You can overwork your team, over-complicate your offer, or try to grow too fast, and burn out what was already working. Growth is good. Smart growth is better.

Water once a week

Sounds even crazier, right? Wel,l I learned that’s what farmers do with their crops because it establishes strong roots instead of shallow ones, which set the plant up for a larger, more productive harvest. Now I would love a drip system, but right now that’s not how I’m set up. So this system works wonders for me. 

You don’t have to do things every day 

When it comes to business finances or marketing, you don’t have to do them every day.  Pick a day every week and review them. Finance Friday, and Marketing Monday. Once a week, more than that, and you’ll burn yourself out. 

Seasons, Patience, and the Harvest

Gardening isn’t instant. There are seasons: prepping in winter, planting in spring, maintaining through summer, and finally harvesting in the fall. And when that harvest comes? It’s so rewarding. I’ve been able to share fresh fruits and veggies with friends and family, and enjoy what I’ve grown with my own hands.

And just like in business:

There’s a time to sow, a time to wait, and a time to reap.

We live in a world that glamorizes instant success. But real success? It’s seasonal. You have to nurture your idea, protect it, and give it time. And when the time comes, the harvest will blow you away.

Final Thoughts

If you want to understand the heart of building something that lasts, start a garden.

It will teach you patience, discipline, planning, resilience, and creativity. It’ll remind you that failures are part of the process. That collaboration matters. That your roots need to be strong before you start producing fruit. And that, at the end of the day, the most fulfilling growth takes time.

So yeah, gardening taught me how to build a business. And I wouldn't have believed it either… until I saw the results for myself.

xoxo

Eden Stringham