Hello, friends! As most of you know, GIY Chicago is not my full time job. It’s a hobby and a passion project - a way to connect with my neighbors while also bonding with nature. I’ve loved slowly growing my (still admittedly tiny) business and meeting all of you. Last year I grew over 1000 seedlings, all by hand in my basement and backyard. Like many of you, I spend the dreary Chicago winters dreaming of gardening season, so it brings me a mix of joy and sadness to tell you I won’t be selling seedlings this year.

I recently had major surgery and will be recovering for a while and finally had to accept that I won’t be able to handle the physical demands of seed starting. The happy news is that my spouse and I are expecting our first child in May. I’m very excited to be a parent and want to focus all of my energy on our tiny human. 

Of course, I can’t completely skip the season. My spouse and I will be gardening in our yard, and I made sure to start extra seedlings for local community gardens and schools. I may decide to grow a round of seedlings for fall - I’ll be sure to keep you posted. :)

Thank you so much for choosing to be my customer. I hope you all have a fantastic gardening season. Shop small, grow big, and I’ll see you in 2023!

- Sam