Goose Creek, South Carolina, is a great place to grow a Katie’s Krops gardens. Just ask the Bryant sisters, Zion, Zielle, and Ziriah. The girls tried gardening last year with some success but have produced in 2021 after signing up for Katie’s Krops and receiving a starter kit with a soil testing kit, pots, a hose, shovels, gloves, seeds, and a gift card to buy anything else they needed to grow their garden.

Their front yard now includes a vegetable plot with multiple crops, including the three sisters of corn, squash, and beans, because three sisters pretty much need to grow the three sisters, wouldn’t you agree? They haven’t limited their garden to that, though. They also grew bumper crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and green beans along with basil. But, on the other hand, the watermelon did not do so well and never got bigger than a baby squash.

The girls first learned about gardening from their late grandfather, who taught them skills such as turning over the soil, checking the sun pattern in their garden, and how to grow tomatoes. Zion and Zielle also volunteer in the Green Heart Garden at their school, Meeting Street Academy in Charleston, where they are in the 4^th and 2^nd grades, respectively. 

The girls are supported in their efforts by their parents, Marcus and Brittany. Brittany is also on the board of Green Heart. They help them package their produce to deliver by hand to elderly neighbors within walking distance, just as their grandfather did, and for the sister of one of their teachers. Each of the girls has their own reasons for gardening. Nine-year-old Zion feels closer to her grandfather when she is in the garden and likes helping people and sharing, while Zielle, 7, likes getting dirty. Ziriah enjoys being outside with her siblings AND getting dirty. 

Gardening in South Carolina presents both challenges, such as the heat and advantages, including being able to raise very productive spring and fall gardens in addition to the usual summer garden. The Bryant family’s fall garden will include beets, carrots, broccoli, kale, peas, lettuce, spinach, and onions. In addition, they’ll be continuing their efforts battling destructive bugs, pests, and diseases without harming the beneficial bugs they’ve seen, such as ladybugs or dragonflies.

Plans are already in the works for next year. The family will be expanding with the addition of a baby boy, and the garden will be expanding from 36 to 72 square feet by increasing the plot from 12 x 3 to 12 x 6 feet. That garden might not include sunflowers, though. Dad was not impressed by them. Fortunately, he and the rest of the family do like the fresh produce.