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.

06/18/2026

When I say I’m busy, this where I usually am. Unless my littles need me more.

The dream of creating a landscape cottage garden slowly becoming a reality. Wanting to be surrounded by veggies and flowers is the goal.

With spring almost gone, some of the flowers I’ve been loving will be gone soon. Trying to take in the last of the Poppies most especially. Even the rainbow chard, I watch daily in case they bolt.

Enjoying my coffee and strawberry soda in the garden for a refresher.

The delphiniums are starting to come back and rebloom. It’s been a gift to see them make a comeback.

06/16/2026

June Harvest In My Small Flower & Veggie Garden.

I’ve been meaning to harvest my lavender flowers. That way they can keep sending new flower shoots through the summer. The smell is incredible, especially on a warm day.

My echinacea and calendula needed a little bit of a harvest too. Some flowers really do better when deadheaded. But not all, so keep that in mind when you want to harvest flowers.

My zucchini is starting to get bigger after I changed the fertilizing numbers a bit. That way the plant puts more production into the fruit and not the leaves. Be sure to harvest your zucchini and bush beans/ green beans before they go to seed. That way they can keep producing more.

I always pinch off lemon verbena for some fresh tea. My summer go to for tea.

Time to make some lavender syrup out of this English Lavender.

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.

Address

6128 San Juan Avenue
Citrus Heights, CA
95610

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Leah Willow posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Leah Willow:

Shortcuts

Share

Category