Leah Willow

Leah Willow Northern California, Zone 9. Suburban Gardener, Plant Collector & Home Baker. I grow vegetables, flowers & all types of succulents.

Indoors it’s all about the jungle plants.

06/11/2026

Cottage Flowers In Our Small Little Garden.

I had been really hoping for a purple a delphinium from the fountain mix series I planted. And I got two so far. Summer is ok it’s way, which means the spring flowers will be on there way out.

I did cut back my delphinium before they went to seed, and now I have one re blooming. The ornamental poppy bush is on its last lifeline. There are about 5 left. But it’s been going strong.

So many butterflies have been showing up for all our blooms. Now just waiting for the monarchs to discover our newly planted milkweed plants.

06/09/2026

Harvesting In My Small California Garden.

I grew calendula from seed this year, and it has not disappointed. It’s practically outgrown its little corner. I needed to deadhead to keep the flowers producing.

My rainbow chard is also taking care over. It’s consistently been happy in the garden bed with the tomatoes. But I did need space for my tomatoes to grow. They need healthy airflow.

I harvested some of my mint and another batch of nasturtium seeds. The different mints for teas, and the nasturtium for fermenting.

The dried plant is a Russian Kale that went to seed. I really want to grow my own this year, so I needed to harvest it finally since it’s ready.

06/06/2026

Best Gardening Advice From Martha Stewart.

If you didn’t already know, gardening is linked to lower stress hormones and triggers happy “chemicals” in the brain.

Soil is considered to boost your mood, that triggers release of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Thanks to a bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae.

Even looking at the plants can trigger dopamine in the brain. It’s amazing what a garden can do to stimulate our senses. Bird sounds also have the same effect.

This is your sign for a plant shopping trip.

marthastewart gardening

06/06/2026

What a Tiny Suburban Garden Can Produce.

I’ve been using up any square inch in my backyard that I’m allowed. Would I turn the whole yard into a garden? Remove the playground? Yes, yes I would. But while my boys are little, I’m restraining myself to the outer borders.

I have been spacing things based on height and width. My tomatoes and cucumbers will be growing vertically. Which will leave space for what grows underneath. Even my pumpkins are going to be grown vertical this year.

It’s better to start somewhere in the yard, or even balcony. My first successful pot was living in a second story apartment. I had bought a massive terracotta pot. Added one tomato and a bunch of herbs.

Best part of being a plant lover, is you learn to be creative with whatever space you have.

06/02/2026

Evenings In My Small California Garden.

There’s a whole other feel to the garden when dusk settles in. Everything seems more still and much more quiet. The colors on the plants become cooler.

The flowers seem to stand out more against all the dark greens. The Petunias and Nasturtium in particular really pop during the evenings.

It’s one of my favorite times to have my late dinner or a cup of tea after a busy day. I love getting every excuse to sit and enjoy the garden.

It’s not easy to just sit. If you garden you might know. Any time you sit, you find something you want to get to. The garden is always a work in progress, with endless projects and ideas.

05/31/2026

Ancient Flowers For Powerful Tea.

Bachelor Buttons have been around for centuries. And have been used just as long medicinally. Even ancient Egyptians used this flower.

It’s high in antioxidants, works with your immune system. Used as skincare to help reduce face puffiness. My favorite is that it helps with anxiety.

Nature has a way of providing us everything we need. We should try not to overlook it.

They are pollinator friendly attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

They do well as cut flowers and last well indoors. Another favorite perk. They add such nice color around the house.

05/27/2026

Cottage Garden Corner Surprise.

It was a happy accident to find a red Poppy growing in my little corner of annuals and perennials. I noticed it sprout Mid February, and figured what a fun surprise would be.
And no it has been. I love what a show it put on all Spring.

When I planted my delphinium, I planted the fountain mix color. So I had no idea what colors I’d get. So far 3 blues and one purple. A couple more to go.

Couldn’t be happier with this little spot. So much color in the garden.

05/22/2026

The Different Things You Can Harvest In A Small Garden.

This year my favorite harvest was the rainbow Chard. But unlimited mint tea also made the top list.

The Nasturtium seed pods fermented beautifully. They remind me of pickled capers.

I’ve also enjoyed the flowers I’ve been cutting from the garden. I’ve loved the Nasturtium flowers in my coffee. They add a bit of whimsy.

I’d say my boys favorite from the garden has been picking the raspberries. They get impatient for them to ripen.

05/20/2026

How to get bushier herb plants.🌱

The best tip I learned to get bigger herbs plants. Is too prune often. High only benefits the culinary cook in the kitchen. Every time you prune you have something to cook with. And in turn your plant gets bigger and broader.

Nodes are where the leaves form. Count every three nodes and snip or pinch away at the leaves. And you’ll have double the plant forming at the spot you pruned.

Address

6128 San Juan Avenue
Citrus Heights, CA
95610

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