Marcella Hawley had spent her entire life around beautiful flowers. But until she planted her own beds in Webster Groves, she had no idea of the healing power of a garden.

With April showers come spring flowers, and the abundance of colorful blooms are sure to spark inspiration in the kitchen. For many gardeners, eating from the garden means eating vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots or cucumbers, but it doesn’t have to stop there! Edible flowers are a great way to incorporate color into your everyday meals.

When working with a smaller space, an office, apartment or even your very own tiny home, it can seem difficult to add plants into the mix. But with some careful planning, you can transform your space into the plant haven of your dreams.

Big Personalities

They only have to step out their own back door to find themselves in a paradise. Adjacent to an upper patio, gold, silver, orange and black koi flash their iridescent colors in a water lily-accented pond with a water-jet fountain. Alongside that same patio is the head of a small stream that twists down the hillside creating a series of tiny waterfalls as it cascades over strategically placed rocks; appears to course under an arched bridge, and eventually find its watery way into a stone-surrounded recreation pond suitable for swimming.

Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or cooking a quick lunch, utilizing fresh herbs can add flavor to your meal while also providing additional health benefits. We’ve gathered four common herbs for beginners that will get you into the garden and cooking fresh, homemade meals.

Basil

Much like the cooler temperatures in May here in St. Louis, September is another great time of year to witness roses in bloom. The intensity and profuseness at which the roses bloom in September is akin to the floriferousness of the spring flush. Like most plants, there is a sweet moment in time when roses look and perform their best. The cooler temperatures that hint of a cold winter ahead and shortening of daylight initiates a response in roses similar to the warming and longer days in spring.