Hello GPODers!
A few weeks in the past we received to see how Mark Montgelas grows a beautiful assortment of meals and flowers within the northeast (Mark’s Decorative Vegetable Backyard in Vermont), and in the present day we get to see how Daybreak Fountain does the identical within the reverse nook of the US, at her residence in Shock, Arizona. Daybreak despatched in an exquisite description of her backyard expertise, her present beds, and all the pleasure she will get from this rewarding pastime, so I’ll let her take it away:
I’ve been gardening since 1994. I’ve at all times had a small backyard—a few crops—only for one thing to do with my neighbor.
Once I married my husband 18 years in the past, he helped construct me a ‘enormous’ backyard that went round the entire again wall of our home. Sadly, I grew to become allergic to simply about all the pieces again there and it scared me off gardening for some time.
In April 2024, we moved again out to Arizona (we now dwell in Shock, AZ) and immediately I noticed numerous room. The entire again yard, in true Arizona type, is normally rocks. My husband jumped into motion and constructed me raised beds. He additionally put slightly fence round a small space so I may have a memorial backyard for my grandparents and oldsters.
NOW I develop herbs (basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, oregano, stevia). My basil crops grew to five+ toes tall so, with a lot—together with the opposite herbs and issues I develop—I’ve grow to be serious about making infused oils and honeys. Basil (or blended herbed) oil is my favourite to prepare dinner with. I like serving my dinners with freshly made herbed breads and butters. ALSO infused honey—rose (sure, the flower) is the perfect!!!! My household loves it.
I’ve a butterfly backyard and sunflowers. In there I’ve lavender – which makes actually good honey too.
Daybreak’s sunflower backyard with an identical metallic sunflower and a cheerful gnome guarding her cheerful blooms.
I even have home crops and my favourite factor to do is to chop roses and flowers from my backyard and have a mini backyard inside.
In my most important backyard I’ve corn, carrots, beets, strawberries, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes (2 sorts – they grew 6 ft tall), basil, mustard greens, lettuce, kale, onions, stevia, cucumbers, parsley, spinach, cilantro, peppers, 3 forms of mint…
I even have a number of different crops – blueberries, blackberries, avocado tree, lemon tree, orange tree. I simply received a planter constructed the place I’ll begin a spring flower backyard. I like sitting at my eating room desk and seeing the bees and hummingbirds benefit from the feeders. I even have cilantro and 5 forms of roses.
Once I exit again to get some inexperienced for dinner – my husband calls it ‘purchasing’. LOL
A better have a look at all these stunning greens that Daybreak grows, together with the completely huge basil crops on the precise!
My backyard is the place I am going to be alone, the place I’m the happiest, and the place I discover my true peace.
My grandson loves coming over and ‘snack’ by means of my backyard. He liked the day he came to visit and he and his sister received to pick of my backyard. She received to eat the carrots she picked. He received to make pickles.
I’ve already began my seeds indoors for my spring backyard (19 varieties to this point) and have it marked in my planner when it’s going exterior. I’ve all of it deliberate out and I’ve a chart for when it began, sprouting, going exterior… My native nursery even does free courses and I attend these often.
Are you able to inform I like this?
Thanks a lot for sharing your very particular backyard with us, Daybreak! Your love for all you develop is so evident in your pictures and phrases. I’m additionally very impressed by your adventures in oil and honey infusions 😋
OK of us, we’ve seen veggie gardens within the northeast and now the southwest. The place are my edible gardeners within the PNW? The midwest? How in regards to the Nice Plains or the southeast? Whether or not you’ve received rows and rows of raised beds or a small patch for rising some herbs, we’d like to see it on Backyard Photograph of the Day! Observe the instructions beneath to submit pictures by way of e-mail, or ship me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
Have a backyard you’d wish to share?
Have pictures to share? We’d like to see your backyard, a specific assortment of crops you’re keen on, or a beautiful backyard you had the possibility to go to!
To submit, ship 5-10 pictures to [email protected] together with some details about the crops within the photos and the place you took the pictures. We’d love to listen to the place you’re situated, how lengthy you’ve been gardening, successes you’re pleased with, failures you discovered from, hopes for the longer term, favourite crops, or humorous tales out of your backyard.
Have a cell phone? Tag your pictures on Fb, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Do you obtain the GPOD by e-mail but? Join right here.
Effective Gardening Advisable Merchandise

Attracting Helpful Bugs to Your Backyard, Revised and Up to date Second Version: A Pure Method to Pest Management
Effective Gardening receives a fee for objects bought by means of hyperlinks on this web site, together with Amazon Associates and different affiliate promoting applications.
This revised and up to date version of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Helpful Bugs to Your Backyard gives a helpful and science-backed plan for bringing steadiness again to the backyard. With this indispensable gardening reference—now up to date with new analysis, insights, and voices—discover ways to create a wholesome, balanced, and various backyard able to supporting a hard-working crew of helpful pest-eating bugs and get rid of the necessity for artificial chemical pesticides.

Corona E-Grip Trowel
Effective Gardening receives a fee for objects bought by means of hyperlinks on this web site, together with Amazon Associates and different affiliate promoting applications.
Deal with Materials: Aluminum. Deal with Size: 14-1/2 in. General Size: 14.5 in. Head Materials: Aluminum. Deal with Coloration: Crimson.