Grow more in less space, the Southern way.
Practical, low-chemical gardening guides from a horticulture-trained grower. Written for the space you actually have, not the farm you saw on TV.
See the guidesBefore the business, there was the garden.
I'm Cherrell. Gardening started for me as therapy after my health closed the door on a long career. Then it turned into study, and I went on to formal horticulture training through Texas Tech.
Years ago in North Carolina I grew peaches without chemical treatments and ended up with enough to give away. That is still my favorite kind of harvest: the kind you can share.
Mockingbird Urban Gardens is for people who want that too but are working with a patio, a raised bed, a few pots or a body that has limits. Small spaces can produce big harvests. You just have to work with the soil, the plants and the water instead of against them.
Plant, nurture, wait, learn, harvest, share, replant.
Soil, plants and water. In that order.
Three plain-spoken guides built for Southern heat, Southern soil and small spaces. Each one works on its own. Together they cover the whole garden.
Book 1 · Soil
Nurturing the Soul
Understand and improve your soil, from testing and natural soil health to the living microbiome beneath your garden.
Book 2 · Plants
Harmonizing with Nature
Companion planting and natural pest control, so your plants support each other without the chemicals.
Book 3 · Water
The Water Whisperer
Watering your Southern garden the smart way: roots first, drip, rain barrels and what to do when restrictions hit.
The Southern Grower Series bundle
Soil, plants and water together: Nurturing the Soul, Harmonizing with Nature and The Water Whisperer. If you're starting from scratch, this is the one.
Not sure where to start?
Plants look tired no matter what you feed them.
Start with Book 1 →Bugs keep winning and you'd rather not spray.
Start with Book 2 →Summer heat, water bills or restrictions are wearing you out.
Start with Book 3 →Brand new, or starting over in a new space.
Get all three →Seasonal growing notes are on the way.
Short, practical articles on what to plant, what to pair and what to skip, season by season. Until then, the guides above have you covered.
Read The JournalMockingbird Urban Gardens is a garden lane of Mockingbird Collective.