A neglected garden box might sound like a total loss. But after NFL star Zack Baun returned after about six weeks away, it turned into a surprising harvest: tomatoes, giant beets, tangled vines, and still enough vegetables to make the trip outside worth it.
What happened?
In a video shared by Ali Baun on TikTok, the Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and beginner gardener returned to a raised bed after leaving it alone for a while and quickly summed up the situation: “This is what happens when you start a garden box, and you leave for a month and a half and come back to an absolute disaster.”
@alibaun fresh off the plane, fresh out the garden @Zack Baun #gardentok #harvest #philadelphiaeagles #gobirds #gardenharvest ♬ original sound – Ali Baun
Not everything in the bed had gone bad. While going through the tomatoes, Ali said, “We could make use of these,” and Zack added, “There are some good, really good ones,” even though one plant had spread across the box and produced fruit described as “overripe, splitting, rotting.”
Beyond the tomatoes, the bed still held a variety of crops, including radishes, carrots, green beans, peppers, jalapeños, and beets so large they were “sitting on top of the soil.” Baun said he didn’t have his hopes up because they knew they would be away, but still celebrated the beans: “We knew we were leaving, so there was little to no expectations here. But, like, these green beans I planted from seed. Boom, they’re as tall as you.”
In the comments, one viewer wrote, “Wishing I planted beets now!”
Why does it matter?
Even after weeks of neglect, the raised bed still produced enough food to harvest, snack on, and potentially help trim a grocery bill at a time when many households are looking for practical ways to save money on produce.
Gardening can also provide low-impact physical activity and support mental well-being by getting people outdoors and giving them a hands-on routine.
What can I do?
You do not need a picture-perfect setup to get something useful out of a small garden box.
Starting with a few easy crops and accepting that some trial and error is part of the process can make the hobby feel less intimidating. It can also help to plan around real life. If you know you will be away, harvest what you can beforehand, ask someone to check in, or choose lower-maintenance crops that can tolerate a little neglect better than others.
And if produce grows larger than expected, it may still work well in soups, sauces, salads, or pickled dishes.
For anyone ready to give it a try, The TCD Guide’s page on growing your own food offers practical ways to get started.
Commenters were already swapping ideas, with one sharing, “Easiest way to cook beets is in an instant pot. I either add them to salads or pickle them.”
Baun was excited about the good start to his gardening career, “First year not knowing went through some trials and tribulations. That just means next year is gonna be better.”
And for at least one viewer, the harvest still looked like a success: “Beet salad for days.”
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