*As previously published on Hybrid Mom

Back in April I blogged about starting my new garden. Now that the long hot summer days have done their magic I wanted to share the results with you. I will admit that I probably over planted, but it was pretty fun. The little orange cherry and yellow pear tomato plants are completely taking over and are incredibly delicious. If you have never eaten a homegrown tomato, you have no idea what you are missing. They are so flavorful…I eat them right off the vine. Next year do yourself a favor and at least put one in a pot in a sunny place and you will be in for a real treat. The vegetable garden has gone crazy too, especially my pumpkin vine…check out the one growing on my scarecrows shoulder. Anyone can do this. It doesn’t have to be as big as what I did – start small. The time and effort you take to plant something is totally worth the final results.

If you have been following my blogs, you all have read I love gardening! In fact one of my favorite birthday presents this year was a gift card to OSH hardware and garden store. Like most things in my life I don’t necessarily have a preconceived plan, but go at it and it unfolds in front of me. I was just in Chicago and although winter was just ending I could tell that the neighborhoods weren’t busting with ‚gardens‛ like where I live. I really appreciate our long growing season! 

If you have been reading my blog you know I have been working on a new vegetable garden. Like so many things it has taken on a life of its own. I get a little carried away with the ‚creating ‚ aspect and something small turns into a journey, a transformation all-together. I have been of the mindset of making a spot that is overflowing with fruits, vegetables and flowers. I think I have achieved that. It looks more complicated than it really was.

As a follow up to last week’s blog I thought I would share where I get my gardening inspiration and hopefully give you some ideas in the process. One of my favorite things to do when it comes to gardening is to COPY. I’ll go to high-end stores or look on their websites and get ideas and then shop around for something similar for far less. It’s kind of fun to see how I can pull off the high end look for bargain prices – trust me, it can be done, so don’t let what you think will cost a fortune deter you from trying.

Great places to scout out some ideas are hotels. I have gone to some of my favorite hotels like, The Carnaros Inn in Napa Valley or San Yasidro Ranch (right) in Santa Barbara to get garden ideas.

I love vegetable gardens. I am not an expert but with a little bit of research and creativity, I continually craft different types of gardening spaces in my yard, each one unique. Aesthetically it adds so much to the landscape. For the last few years I have had my garden on the side of my front yard and it became the neighborhood destination. If I ever didn’t have my scarecrow up, the neighbors would complain. An older man once came up to me when I was out working in the garden and told me he liked to come by each year and see how she (yes my scarecrow is a woman) was dressed. So if you think that you don’t have the space for a garden, don’t be afraid of the front yard if there is a way to make it quaint and beautiful. I like to use all the spaces on my property. Even an unused side yard with good sun can be transformed into a little farm. 

In my ongoing ‚project ideas I am planning for Spring I am thinking about what citrus I have room for, how I can build a raised vegetable bed, where I can add more roses…I am always thinking about where I can add more color and fragrance, not to mention edibles!

This is the time (for my climate) to plant bare root roses. They are inexpensive and readily available. I did an entire bed with 11 bare roots I got at Home Depot for $11a piece, with canes that are thick and healthy. I got my 16-year-old son Matthew to clean out the bed and dig the holes for me. I showed him how to make the mound in the center of the hole to support the loose roots.