Meet the Grower: Mia Cover

Today, I am highlighting Mia Cover. She was the first gardener I reached out to via Instagram for the Meet Other Growers series because I was so intrigued by all she does. Mia grows her family’s food, raises chickens, bees, dogs, a cat and three children. Once I learned all this, I just had to find out her tips and tricks. Read more to find out how she does it and her best advice for juggling it all.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a Stay-at-home Mom to three, living just outside of downtown Nashville, TN. I’m passionate about growing food for my family, and all aspects of urban homesteading. 

Happy chicken! This bed is such a mess – strawberries that are being chocked out by aggressive lemon balm (the lemon balm wasn’t even planted in the strawberry bed, but has crept in over the years.) I’m planning on tearing everything out soon, so I’ve been letting the Girls have their way. #inmygarden #gardenchat #gardening #backyardgarden #backyardchickens #urbanhomestead #backyardfarm #lemonbalm #chickens

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on Jun 21, 2016 at 5:07am PDT

How long have you been gardening?

I’ve been gardening almost all my life. I grew up with a huge garden in our backyard, which I was required to help with.

Click on the instagram post below to see a tour of Mia’s garden.

 

I thought I’d give y’all a little tour of my tiny front yard garden. #frontyardgarden #raisedbeds #growyourownfood #gardening #growfoodnotlawns #zucchini #tomatoes #zinnia #urbangarden #urbanorganicgardener #seedsnow

A video posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on Jun 21, 2016 at 3:45pm PDT

What are you most proud of about your garden?

I love my perennial herb beds. Herbs are so useful for so many things, and can be a beautiful backdrop for the rest of the garden.

Just picked a delicious smelling basket of herbs. ? I can’t help but think how lucky I am to walk out my back door and be rewarded with these gorgeous, savory herbs. #oregano #sage #dill #rosemary #thyme #herbgarden #gardenchat #herbs #gardening #growsomethinggreen #urbangardenersrepublic

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on May 16, 2016 at 2:18pm PDT

What are your favorite learning resources ?

My go-to book is Crockett’s Victory Garden – it’s out of print but fairly easy to find. I also never miss Mike McGrath’s week radio show (available as a podcast) You Bet Your Garden. He also has a very informative website, GardensAlive.com.

Baby butternut!! ? #inmygarden #gardenchat #urbangarden #urbanorganicgardener #urbangardenersrepublic #growyourownfood #growsomethinggreen #butternutsquash #wintersquash

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on Jun 20, 2016 at 7:12pm PDT

What are your top three tips for juggling being a wife, mom of 3 kids, dogs, cat, chickens and bees?

1. Make lists! I have lists of everything from kids chores to errands to gardening tasks.
2. Wake up before the rest of the household to assess the day. I like to be up before anyone else so I can have a quiet moment with a cup of coffee to plan the day.
3. Don’t be afraid to say “no”. I used to overcommit, but have gotten used to saying “I’m sorry, but I can’t”. It has saved my sanity.

There’s about 9 million pounds of kale in the garden that needs harvesting, but for now this will do. ?? #inmygarden #gardenchat #organicgardening #backyardgarden #urbangarden #harvest #peas #radishes #freerangeeggs #edibleflowers

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on May 31, 2016 at 3:23pm PDT

When you have an issue in your garden and you aren’t sure of the cause, what do you do to troubleshoot?

Ask friends! I am lucky to live in a neighborhood with LOTS of gardeners. We have a private Facebook page where we compare notes, brag about successes, and help each other troubleshoot issues.

What are you most excited to grow this season?

For the first time, I’m growing Mexican Sour Gherkins. They look like miniature watermelons but taste like lemony cucumbers (although they are not related). They are supposed to make great pickles.

Can you guess what this is?? I”m really excited because there are DOZENS of them on the vines – and it’s probably NOT what you think it is! ? EDITED: The cucamelons have it! Also known as Mexican Sour Gherkins or mouse melons, they look like tiny watermelons and they taste kind of like lemony cucumbers, but are not at all related. #inmygarden #gardenchat #gardening #urbangarden #backyardgarden #growsomething #growyourownfood

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on Jun 9, 2016 at 6:44pm PDT

What do you know now that you wish you would have known when you started bee-keeping?

I wish I’d known just how rewarding it is, and that I would have started keeping bees much sooner. There is still so much to learn, and I am constantly discovering new things. But it is such a great experience, and my garden loves the bees.

I’ve been converting my hives over to foundationless frames, and it’s just fascinating seeing how quickly they draw the comb out. This frame was just put in on Thursday. #bees #honeycomb #beehive #honeybees #beekeeping #backyardbeekeeping #urbanbeekeeper

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on Apr 10, 2016 at 2:57pm PDT

Thank you so much for your inspiration and advice, and for taking the time to share with us, Mia!

You can find Mia on Facebook  and Instagram.

A huge THANK YOU to all my awesome followers – I’m a little overwhelmed that there are now 10,000 of you! I love learning from you and sharing my little farm. Oh – and this is my 2,000th post! ?✨???? #yallrock #thankyou #10000followers #gardenchat #inmygarden #herbs

A photo posted by Mia Cover (@miaslittlefarm) on May 10, 2016 at 1:44pm PDT