About Us

Who we are

I had always joked that when my youngest son graduated college I was going to quit my job and do “something I really wanted to do.”  The problem was after working as a high school teacher for 20 years, I had no idea what I “wanted” to do anymore. My days had always been filled with the needs and wants of others and suddenly- seemingly overnight- it was just me hanging out in the garden with my dogs every day. So, I did what women have done for generations- I started growing more things and that led to making things from what I grew. At first it was giving away my extra produce, then it was sending out produce boxes.  Next was sauces and jams and then herb bundles.  Then it was preserves and pickling and fermentations, which of course led to soaps and salves and finally tinctures.  What originally was just a happy hobby to gift to my friends, coworkers and family, suddenly turned into  people I didn’t even know reaching out to me to buy the things I was making- giving them out to their family and friends for gifts.  I finally had to create a website and business cards  just so I could have them reach out to me in one place instead of hunting me down all over town- Gotta love a small town!  

An idea is born

That’s how Melo’s Diggings was created!  I run a small greenhouse in my backyard that is packed to the brim all winter long- as well as all available free space in my house.  During our temperamental growing season in North Carolina, I plant my ever expanding raised beds, container gardens and ever growing herbal and flower beds.  I raise as many native and heirloom varieties as I can manage.  I always use companion planting, natural pollinator attractors and all the ‘good’  insect assistants I can attract.  I never use pesticides or chemical fertilizers and all my seeds and starts come from reputable sources. My list of products and produce grows and changes as the days lengthen and the seasons shift.  There’s a whole lot of farm packed into a very small grow space around here, but my days are always full and everything I produce is made with love and consideration.