Urban Gardening Mom: Off to a Great Start in 2020

2019 was a year of many milestones for me and my advocacy. More and more people are now experiencing the benefits of gardening - young and old alike. Thanks to the power of social media - Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and all.  

First on my to-do-list last 2019 was my website redesign. For those who had been following this blog before, you may have noticed a marked difference in the lay-out. It's still a work in progress though, even as it took me more than a year to set it up through the help of my web developer. Last year I haven't been uploading any new blog post - the last update was way back in 2018.  It's because I was working out the details of my website re-design to ensure that it continues to be relevant for all my readers - today and into the future.  

At the same time, I have also started to work on a couple of other new things. One of them is the launch of my online store - The Urban Gardening Shop in Shopee and Lazada. My goal is to provide gardeners with an easier access to good quality gardening products- sort of a one-stop shop of all their gardening needs. I know how frustrating it is to buy all sorts of products available online- only to find out that it's not effective. The online space is teeming with scammers trying to sell you stuff that are simply useless or even harmful to your plants. Through The Urban Gardening Shop, I hope to provide gardeners - wherever in the Philippines they may be -  with an easier and more convenient access to quality seeds, soil conditioners, organic pesticides, pots and more. More importantly, I have used these products myself so I know that they really work. 

Also in 2019, I started to post video tutorials on my Facebook Page and YouTube Channel. There had been some requests from my readers and followers to do video tutorials on basic urban gardening.   Even as I tried to educate them through my written blogs, it's still easier to just demonstrate them through a short video. So the Urban Gardening Mom TV was created to help gardening enthusiasts, especially those who want to start a garden for the first time. I've launched a few episodes on the basics on seed starting and transplanting, and I'm working on a few more in the coming months. 

Most of all, I've also been busy with my own small garden in the city, trying and exploring new plant varieties that I can grow in containers. For many, gardening provides a perfect respite from the daily pressures at work and traffic woes. For instance, I've taken a keen interest on cactus and succulents (C&S). Now, I understand why a lot of millenials (and those trying to be a millenial, like me) are going crazy about C&S. 

So now I'm looking forward to another great and exciting new year in 2020. Part of my New Year's resolution is to start posting actively on my website. It's very heart-warming to reminisce it all began more than 5 years ago. Thanks to your encouraging comments, I've come a long long way since then.  Still, I feel that there's so much more that I would like to do. 

So 2020 is my level-up year in my advocacy. I intend to be more active on social media, particularly my website, sharing new and interesting blogs and videos, and more new tips and ideas. I will also be working on my E-book which I have just started during the holidays. With these, I hope to create more traction as I make it easier for gardeners to source their materials and access useful information that are suitable in our local environment. 

Please do help me spread this advocacy with your friends and loved ones. Together, we can make our world better by growing a garden at home.

Happy gardening! 

Your Urban Gardening Mom,

 Glo de Castro