Story By: Rachel Raiford
MONTEVALLO, Ala. – As a junior Mass Communication major, Grace O’Reilly has put so much thought into what her life after undergrad will look like. A lot of people in this field go for more news-based or entertainment careers. However, O’Reilly sees herself going down a greener path. She’s interested in educational online communities, specifically sustainable gardening. She compares her dream of building a small, online publication to Pinterest in its design.
“I love magazines and paper publication, but that’s kind of going out,” O’Reilly said. “I want to find a way to marry that aesthetic with a digital format.”
While describing her future goal of being an educational resource on sustainability, O’Reilly expressed her gratitude for these gardening practices. Sustainable gardening is something she has researched extensively. She says that these gardening practices don’t harm the land, they attempt to enhance it.
O’Reilly works at Petals from the Past in Jemison, Alabama, where she has been studying this form of gardening. On their website they explain how they apply contemporary gardening techniques to growing “the finest old-garden plants along with new varieties.” Contemporary gardening techniques can include:
- Classic and clean geometry.
- Small plant palette.
- Repeating patterns.
- Neutral colors.
- Architectural hardscape.
- Simple or minimalist design.
- Careful and intentional organization.
Although they specialize in antique roses and hard to find perennial flowers, O’Reilly has focused on learning their older methods of seed collecting and propagation.
“Their mindset and heart for gardening is regenerative,” O’Reilly said. “The respect and care they show for the land is remarkable.”
O’Reilly expressed that sowing into the land and taking care of it pays off when harvest comes around. Her concern for the toxins that make their way into the land drive her find solutions to being sustainable, which is why she is so interested in older methods of gardening.
“Farmers markets are kind of like the front lines of small-scale gardening. They’re able to produce in small amounts,” O’Reilly said. “If we as consumers can support them in that, then they will be able to invest in their farms, moving them into year-round production.”
She says that sustainable gardening is kind of like anti-consumerism, “but for meats and produce.” O’Reilly compares shopping from local farmers to thrifting a sweater. However, she is aware of the financial strain shopping small can have, but she isn’t sure of where she fits into that conversation.
“Although I don’t fall super left-leaning, I have been called a hippy because these methods aren’t widely known,” O’Reilly said. “That’s why I’m so passionate about the educational aspect of sustainable gardening.”
One of her greatest influences has been social media. One of the most influential and educated creators she has come across is Julius Roberts.
Roberts is a trained chef, and in the midst of the pandemic, he gave up his position at a highly acclaimed restaurant to move to a rural area in Brighton, UK, where he began practicing sustainable farming.
He may have left his career to pursue a new path, but on his Instagram account Roberts still shares his love of cooking with his followers. He posts pictures and videos of the meals he prepares using what’s harvested from his garden and his animals.
O’Reilly called back to an episode from the Fortnum’s Hungry Minds podcast that she says, “started it all.” In this episode, Roberts discusses how his farm made him feel “free and in touch” with the animals he raises and the crops he grows. Much like Roberts, O’Reilly compares this way of farming to slow living, but in a productive way.
By knowing everything about an animal’s life, you have so much appreciation for the food you are eating. That’s one of the main things I’ve learned from him, to be grateful to the Earth and to animals.
Grace O’Reilly
O’Reilly plans on continuing to gain knowledge on these methods of gardening while finishing her degree. She hopes to find a way to launch her blog-like online community shortly after graduating so she can begin educating more people on sustainable gardening.
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