Summer is here.

The herbs and vegetables are sprouting up and out, and every garden hose in Bellport seems to be in use. It’s the season when things really start. And for us - this is that moment.

We hit publish on version 1 of our shop, just now. It’s bare-bones, unpolished, and missing more than a few finishing touches. But it’s alive. It’s out there. And just like a just-sown garden bed, it holds everything we need to grow.

Was it hard to click the button? Absolutely. There’s a vulnerability to showing something before it’s “done,” especially when your vision for it is so much bigger. But American Kitchen Gardens has always been about process over perfection. Starting small. Building slow. Letting things root.

And now it’s real.

Even better: it’s officially a family business.

This week also marks the start of something more personal - Susan (my mom) and Gordon (my partner) have stepped in fully as co-founders, each bringing their own perspective, strength, and soul to what we’re creating. We’re doing this because we believe something essential has been lost in the way most of us live today. Food feels distant. Nature feels ornamental. Community feels optional. And yet, when you put your hands in the dirt, share a meal you grew yourself, or swap cuttings with a neighbor over the fence, that changes. Life reorients. It slows down. It gets louder in the ways that matter.

So here we are: one version 1 site, one real summer, and a whole lot of excitement (as well as nervous energy) ahead. Our dream is to make gardening part of everyday life again - something you do with your hands, your meals, your neighbors. This summer marks the start of our scrappy, sun-soaked first chapter. We’ll be testing our product shop, launching garden concierge services in Bellport, NY and Fredericksburg, VA, and sharing more stories from the ground up - from garden installs to weekend dinners to the moments in between.

Thanks for being here while we figure it all out in the dirt.

More to come,
– Charlie
(co-founder, version 1 publisher, grateful son and partner)

P.S - click around the shop, and when you see something that’s broken let me know!