I can’t remember when I first plunged my baby hands into the dirt – but it was rich, black Lebanon County dirt.
My Mom, who grew up in Ohio, made our deep backyard into paradise with peonies, a white peach tree and a vegetable garden. A college pal gave me paper white bulbs to ‘force’ when we were seniors at Kalamazoo College and left a lasting impression.
Moving to San Diego was like coming into gardeners’ paradise!
I bought my house 30 years ago and its postage stamp-sized front and back gardens have been nurtured and loved for that long. This spring, my husband dug up part of the grow box along the original driveway and lined it with chicken wire to combat gophers – fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, I have 2 dozen mature rose bushes and an equal number of dahlias.
Our butterfly bush has grown above our one-story house. I love old-fashioned flowering plants like hydrangea and fuchsia, and the garden is loaded with bulbs that erupt into bloom in spring, usually February here in San Diego. My favorites are freesia, Dutch iris and hyacinth.
Since we have no frost, I buy my tulips and peonies at the local farmers’ market, a small sacrifice to make for living in this glorious climate.
-Liz the Chef, aka ‘Meyer Lemon Liz’
Liz The Chef’s Garden Post Updates: