Where Passion Takes Root: A Journey Beyond the Garden

Posted on July 28, 2026

By Hedia Balkhi, Horticulture Certificate student

Thirty years ago, shortly after arriving in Canada, I enrolled in a high school Biology course. Unfortunately, I had to withdraw because my English, especially my scientific English, wasn't strong enough. After high school, I pursued mechanical engineering, where the language of mathematics came much more naturally to me. While engineering led me to a rewarding career, biology was always something I hoped I would return to one day.

One of the first topics we explored in this course was plant science and photosynthesis. As someone who has been a gardener for a long time and a master gardener in training for a few years, I already had plenty of hands-on experience growing plants. I knew what worked through observation and experience, but this course has helped me understand not only the "why" but also the "how" behind how plants and soil work. Combining that scientific knowledge with my engineering background has completely changed how I see plants. I now think of them as incredibly efficient little factories that work around the clock, transforming sunlight, water, and nutrients into oxygen, food, and countless other compounds that sustain life and I am in awe! I've always loved plants and probably own far too many, but now I appreciate them in a completely different way. I even find myself talking to them a little more often!

This spring, after a change in my job situation, I downsized and moved to an apartment. My one non-negotiable when looking for a new home was a south-facing balcony, and I was lucky enough to find one. Today, that balcony has become my garden and a tiny food forest on the 6th floor. I started 99% of my vegetables from seed indoors, now have 21 containers overflowing with tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, beans, peas, peppers, herbs, okras, a few native plants and more. There's no longer room for patio chairs because the food forest has taken over!

Growing in containers has been a completely new experience, and I find myself applying concepts from class almost every day. I've discovered that pollinators don't often make it to a 6th-floor balcony, so I now hand-pollinate my tomatoes and cucumbers. I've also learned that, as wonderful as a south-facing balcony is, too much sun can stress container plants. Companion plants in an in-ground garden don't always make good container companions because their watering needs are different. For the first time, I'm keeping a log about what works, what doesn't, and why. I've also enjoyed asking questions in our class discussions and learning from both my classmates and my instructor.

Beyond my own garden, I plan to continue applying what I'm learning to make more informed, science-based gardening decisions and to share that knowledge as I continue my master gardener journey.

What has stood out most about this course is how it has changed the way I observe the plant world around me. It's given me the scientific understanding behind something I've always loved, making me a more thoughtful gardener and a more curious lifelong learner. I nerd out on every lesson, but it doesn't stop within the lessons of this course. After each lesson, I find myself with countless browser tabs open, reading more about the topic and saving YouTube videos and channels. This course has reminded me that growth doesn't only happen in a garden. Sometimes it takes 30 years to come full circle. My plants are growing differently this season, but so am I.

Hedia Balkhi is a student in the Soils and Plant Growth course, and is currently working towards a Horticulture Certificate.