From Tropical Paradise to Snowland, Part 1

I grew up in a lush world filled with plants like palm trees and jacarandas - Orange County, California.  Flowers abound even in the middle of January.  Avocados, loquats, citrus and more are being harvested soon.

If I remember correctly, my own garden adventures began with the proverbial bean seed in a paper cup.  From there I grew to love the feel of dirt on my  bare hands.  I would dig up the gladioli to find all of the baby corms.  Snapdragons were the perfect temporary prisons for inquisitive ants. I would plant strawberry patches, tomatoes and bush beans.

Even back then I was already ordering garden catalogs. My favorite was Park Seed.  Each winter I would send in the postcard to request the new catalog.  I'd pore over the pages, looking longingly at the newest varieties.  Sometimes when I had saved up some money, I'd make an order and anxiously await for my seeds to arrive.  I was also very fond of Sunset magazine.

When I was growing up, I actually wanted to be a marine biologist. I would traipse along the beach, picking up seashells and peering into tide pools.  A part of me still longs to be one. The tang of salt air calls to me.

Over the years my love of science grew and as I entered community college, I had a declared major of microbiology.  I spent a couple of years getting my general education classes out of the way, then transferred to the wintry land of Provo, Utah to attend Brigham Young University.

Tune in tomorrow to see how I ended up as a horticulture major and adapted to being a Zone 10 girl growing in a Zone 5 world.