How my garden grows (hopefully)...

The lovely calla lilies I clipped from our back yard Sunday.

One of the main benefits of residing in Southern California is the weather, which is absolutely perfect more often than not. This past weekend was particularly glorious and so on Sunday, I trekked to the garden center so I could get started on my planting. On my wish list: veggies, herbs and flowers.

I came home with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green beans, chives, basil, rosemary, mint, and of course, some flowers - salvia, snap dragons, impatiens and more. I figured that was enough to get started with.

Before I got down to potting everything - I'm container gardening this year - I decided I might as well make the rounds and clip some of the gorgeous blooms already out in our yard. The calla lilies shown above I clipped yesterday, along with a riot of roses - pinks, cream with pink, white, peach. (I've lived all up and down the East Coast and now on the West Coast, and I have to say Southern California seems made for roses - they bloom for most of the year here. I'll post some pictures of those later in the week.)

I haven't grown vegetables in a few years, and never in containers, so I am a little anxious to see how everything does. I studied up a little on container gardening and really it doesn't seem that different than putting stuff in the ground, so fingers crossed. (And if anyone has any tips, please share.) I really wanted to get back into the groove of growing my own vegetables and having my own fresh herbs on hand - I just think it's a much healthier way to eat and stay in tune with the seasons. One day I hope to have an extensive garden of both vegetables and flowers... but that's several years off.

It seemed to take me hours to get everything situated - the right plant in the right pot, in the right location in the yard depending on the amount of sunlight needed. And then some of our other plants needed attention, so they got a little TLC, too. All in all, it was a busy day, as you can see.

My garden - all in containers. We rent and it would be very hard to put a garden in - an effort not worth making since we're moving in a couple years. Clockwise, from the back, two tomatoes, cucumber, onion and mint. I can't wait to see how they all grow.

My little herb garden, in my favorite kitchen window - rosemary, chives and basil. Yum.

Mint - in a pot all its own because it tends to overrun everything else. In a different kitchen window.

Some of the flowers I planted - salvia and snap dragons - and my green beans are in the back. They may need to be staked as they grow.

This one required no potting. Isn't it beautiful?

My dogs did not feel the need to help out yesterday, as you can see. But at least they are enjoying our pretty back yard. Even my dogs know how to enjoy beauty. :)

Believe it or not, I don't think I'm done yet. I'd still like to try to grow lettuce and carrots and I need some new lavender... I think the gardening bug has really bitten me this year. :)