Optimism!

…does not run in my family.  Not really.  I am a “realist,” and let’s be real:  I tend to kill my plants.  There is a good gardener in there somewhere, but I am not there yet.  But as I mentioned in my first post, I am feeling quite good about this year and I feel with certainty that I will have an awesome garden.  Why?

#1.  I live in Southern California, land of sunshine.  Everything grows here.

#2.  I am half-Dutch and my grandpa (Opa!) and uncles had greenhouses and made their living growing flowers.  It’s literally in my blood and my one true destiny.  Here’s a gratuitous picture of my extended family’s baller greenhouse in Holland:

And most importantly,

#3.  This year, I bought books, really fat ones.  Boom.

Specifically, Pat Welsh’s Southern California OrganicGardening, The New Sunset Western Garden Book, and Sunset Western Garden Edibles (the last was a gift from my husband who knows me so well).  Pat Welsh’s book tells you month by month what to do, the Western Garden book is pretty much the encyclopedia of plants and a great reference tool, and the Garden Edibles book is similar but specific to edibles (obviously).  More thorough reviews will probably follow once they have aided me in growing the perfect garden this year, but so far, I am rating them very useful on the worth-having scale.

…I am pretty sure I am the next mini-Pat Welsh, Dutch ancestors be proud.