‘The Garden: Commune or Cult’: Truck Driver Tishiela Details Life Inside Survivalist Group

What would you do if the world goes under? Tishiela Early wants to be ready should that post-apocalyptic nightmare come to fruition. It’s why the semi-truck driver of 16 years decided to venture from Middleburg, Florida to La Plata, Missouri. It’s where she joins members of The Garden, learning what it takes to live off-grid.

The controversial community is the subject of The Garden: Commune or Cult. This Discovery docuseries follows newcomers such as Early as they try to acclimate to a self-governing society guided by a council that includes founder Patrick, Tree, and Julia. They decide if an individual can stay after a 10-day initiation period.

Here Early opens up about her experience and what she gained from time spent in The Garden.

How did your background as a truck driver prepare you for The Garden? 

Tishiela Early: Personally, I’m a loner, so going off the grid for me is getting away from the world. When I’m out there in a truck, I’m away from everything. A lot of times I drive at night. So, when I drive at night, the road is quiet. I’m out there by myself and doing my thing. As a woman, being a truck driver, you have to have strength about yourself. You have to be a little tough because the industry, a large percentage, male-operated. Being a woman out there, you have to have thick skin.

How was it for you to have cameras follow you on your journey? 

I’m a private person, so having a camera in my face all the time was nerve-racking. After a while, I got used to it. I have a tendency to speak my mind and say how I feel. Sometimes if you say the wrong thing you can offend people. When you have a hot mic, you think about that. There was a sense I had to always be conscious of the things I said. Strange to say because it was an environment where you could be yourself and be free to do what you wanted to do and say what you wanted to say. Having that hot mic on me, I didn’t want to say too much to offend someone in a way, but I still had a good experience.



You mention The Garden was a place where you were free to speak your mind, but it seemed for many newcomers that wasn’t always the case. Did you get a sense that you were being tested in a way how you reacted or who you sided with? 

I was new and it took time to get adjusted to the way they did things. And so, I didn’t know how people were or if they were going to be cliquey or feel some type of way towards me. I did a lot of observation initially. Then after some time, I became more comfortable expressing myself freely.

What were your first impressions of everyone? How did it compare to what you were expecting? 

I didn’t have any expectations because I didn’t know what I was getting into. My initial thought when I got there was I stepped back into time. It was like going back to the 1960s. There was this hippie vibe. Tree is like this happy-go-lucky person. Julie is a laidback sweetheart. They were an odd couple to me in general. It was almost like Halloween every day. Everyone was just strange, but I like strange. I can be okay with strange as long as it’s not harmful. Everyone has their own character, but they are real people. It was very interesting to see. All these different people just being who they were freely and comfortably.

What did you make of the others in the same position as you? For example, Jessica  Stahle we’ll meet as well who is all about social media and from Los Angeles. Then there was Tyler Milligan, who was a military veteran and a fellow survivalist. 

Tyler and I were able to connect because we had a lot in common in terms of society, the experience of being out in the woods off the grid and doing camping, and firearms training. Jessica came in and was totally green. She was a valley girl without any experience like that. It was cute. She was really cool about things. It was interesting to see her endure the journey. Tyler made me feel comfortable. We really bonded.

Did you see any red flags that made you think it leaned more toward a cult? 

There were things. There were definitely things. I’ll leave it at that.

How was it being away from loved ones? Did it weigh on you mentally? 

I’m used to being by myself and away, but I did miss my family a lot. At the same time, I was excited about the experience. I really took that time to get in there and immerse myself in the experience because I desired it so much. I wanted to have a story to tell my family when I got back home.

What are some things you learned? 

It was hard adjusting when I came back home. Here I am at home, working, paying bills, and dealing with family. Then I’m there, learning building skills, foraging, frolicking in the woods, I’m doing all things I’ve never done before. I love to learn, so I learned a lot from being there. I really did appreciate that experience.

What was the one luxury that you missed? 

Being able to get out of my warm bed and walk straight into the bathroom. Use the bathroom, flush the toilet, wash my hands, and climb back into my comfortable bed. I missed that.

Is this something you recommend others experience? 

Absolutely. I think everyone should have this experience at least once in their lives, so they can see the difference between the everyday hustle and bustle rat race and just being free and being able to grow your own food, enjoy nature, depend on themselves, and not have somebody else tell you what to do, how to do it, when to do it. Not being bogged down by societal views and judgments. It was definitely an eye-opening experience.

Are we going to see you decide whether it’s a community or a cult? Are you still deciding for yourself? 

All I can say is stay tuned.

What do you want to say about your experience and what you went through? 

You’ll see some evolution with me. You’ll see me ponder on some things. You’ll see me questioning the same things you’re questioning. We’ll all be seeing this for the first time together. I went through a lot of emotional changes. I learned a lot. I had ups and downs, but I came out with a new perspective. They brought some things home for me. I definitely have some things planned out now.

The Garden: Commune or Cult premiere, Sundays, 9/8c, Discovery