While I was in the suburbs of Philly last weekend seeing Mom, I went to check out a new garden story called Terrain. What would it look like if retail stores Anthropology and Smith & Hawken had a baby? You would get a huge selection of plants, garden tools, books, moisturizers, a cafe, full service restaurant, furniture, lighting fixtures, decorating ideas, vessels, pots, bird baths, outdoor seating, a service that does container gardens for you... basically I was in heaven. What follows are some pictures I took. The place is just amazing. If you want some inspiration this weekend, hop in the car and take road trip, you won't be dissapointed.

This past weekend, I went home for Mother's Day. What better was to celebrate than with a meal from my Victory Garden starring fresh asparagus and sage. I figure she spent 18+ years nourishing me, so this is the least I could do for her.

I've made risotto for my mother in the past. This time, I wanted to surprise her with a new take on an old stand-by. With harvest in hand, the flavors would focus on fresh spring ingredients. There are a million different ways to make risotto, just follow the instructions for the basic dish here. To put my own twist on it, I sauteed two types of mushrooms, grilled three thick stalks of asparagus, and chopped the thinner stalks into small bite size chunks. All would be incorporated with frozen peas (mine from the garden weren't ready yet), fresh chives, and fried sage leaves. As an extra 'thanks for being such an amazing mom' touch, I seared diver scallops until they got a nice crispy brown lacquer.

Needless to say, the meal was excellent. We had several bottles of wine and shared all kinds of family stories and memories. Even if you don't have ingredients from your garden to work with, the mere act of setting the table, turning off the TV, and having a special meal will provide such great memories. I can't wait to do it again. Do you have any kind of special meal rituals? I would love to hear about them.

Would you believe that if you planted asparagus today you would still be harvesting stalks in 2028? Twenty years (or more!) is the average life span of a healthy crown of asparagus. I know this sounds crazy, but let me explain. Asparagus can be started from seed, but if you want to fast track harvesting (which I did) you can purchase established crowns. A crown is basically a root system that has been growing for a few years. Picture a mass of tangles you would never want to comb out and that is a crown. Looking to purchase  established crowns? Click here.

Once your crowns have arrived, they need to be planted in trenches. I dug out out three trenches measuring 12", 16", and 20" in depth. Why the different depths? The rationale is that the most shallow trench will yield the first crop, followed in a few weeks by the next deepest, etc. This would help prolong the asparagus season.

Digging so many trenches with just a shovel and a wheelbarrow might not have been the smartest thing. It is  back breaking work. Next time, I think I would rent or borrow some kind of tilling machine. You also need a temporary area to put the dirt once you have excavated it from the earth. I say temporary because you will fill the trenches back in once the crowns are planted.

Now the waiting begins. I'm sorry to report, but you really can't harvest anything for the first two years. Why? You are trying to establish a root system that is going to outlast the next four presidents, so you want to give them some time to settle in. All of this might sound like too much work for some. But keep in mind, you will be harvesting and eating asparagus into your old age.

So after years of waiting and resisting the urge to sneak a stalk, I'm happy to report a bumper crop has started to emerge. What have you planted that has taken more than a few seasons to mature? Has it been worth the wait?

I'm going to start to harvest so check back later this week for a spring recipe using asparagus that is sure to impress.

I found this article in yesterday's New York Times about Wendy Johnson and her garden in Muir Beach, California. Inspiring reading for your coffee break today. The slide show has some beautiful images.

How do you know when spring is here? Do you notice some bulbs are popping through the ground or that the days are getting longer? For me, the first true sign of spring started back in February when seed packets went on sale at K-Mart and Target. Going through the huge assortment of plants and vegetables presented in small 4" x 3" size seed packets is like being at a vast nursery, only everything fits in your pocket.

The first thing I'm looking for in seed packets are if the growing instructions say 'Sow direct as soon as soil can be worked' or 'after signs of frost have passed.' Otherwise, you will have to start the seeds indoors, under lights, thin your seedlings out, gradually expose them to the outdoor elements once they mature, etc. I have tried to do this in the past with some heirloom tomato seeds. They started off great inside, but then were zapped by a strong gust of cold wind and I was bummed. Someday, when I have the time, I'd love to start more seeds indoors, but for now, sow direct is my favorite seed starting method.

So far sugar snap peas, mesclun, arugula, and radishes (French breakfast which are a long, red, and white variety and Raggae which are plump and scarlet) have been planted. The method is pretty easy: you just take the grass up in an area that gets direct sunlight, mix some compost into the soil and you've got a bed that is ready to plant.

I had never seen lettuce seeds before. They are so small and sand-like. Planting these requires a technique called 'broadcasting' which for me meant putting the seeds in my hand and scattering them around. Per the instructions on the seed packet, I covered them with a small scattering of soil because the seed needs light to germinate. A light sprinkling of Garden Tone, an organic fertilizer, completes the process.

Radish and snap pea seeds are much more traditional looking. These are planted in rows. I'm not very exact in my row making skills, I just kind of drag a trowel in the dirt and plant in that line. What's fun about radishes are they begin to germinate quickly, sometimes in under 10 days, so you get to see some results pretty fast.

Once all the seeds have been planted, then they are watered thoroughly and some netting is put up to ward off any deer or other critters. They they are left to fend for themselves as I head back to New York City. Cross your fingers and hopefully I'll get some results.

What veggies or plants do you like to start from seed? If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a gardener. I'm an art director for Real Simple and I am a busy person, just like you, who has found a love for digging in the dirt.

During World War I and World War II, Victory Gardens were cultivated by average citizens in the United States to reduce pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war efforts. These gardens were in people's backyards and considered a "morale booster" in that gardeners could feel empowered by their labor and rewarded by delicous produce from their backyard. The sowing, reaping, and consuming became part of a daily life on the home front and connected people to the food chain and their communities.

In 2008 the wisdom of a Victory Garden seems timely again: we are at war, the economy is on the verge of a recession, and the general atmosphere is one of fear. But today we have our own challenges like rampant obesity in children and adults, constant food recalls, and a climate crisis that threatens the very existence of the human race. Now more than ever is the perfect time to start a Victory Garden.

When I go to my local Shop Rite, there are all kinds of questions that I annoy my produce guy with like where did this lettuce come from or how can asparagus be so cheap when it's coming all the way from Chile? Then there is the amount of packaging that goes into selling a box of pre-washed lettuces. Sure the plastic clam shell box it comes in is recyclable, but can't there be a better way?

Victory Garden is my attempt to forge a different path. What if I could harvest ingredients for a meal right in my own backyard? My very own slow food movement! Shop Rite will always be in the picture (I'm not going to start raising my own live stock or pressing my own olive oil) but at least now I will know where some of my food is coming from.

What can one person do? Plenty. The journey begins with some simple seeds and soil. From there, I'll show you how things evolve from baby seedlings to harvest and then incorporating it into a meal. My garden also has some perennial herbs, fruit trees, and flowers, so from time to time I'll show you how those are progressing. By planting a seed, I'm taking a leap of faith that all the natural elements will align and produce some delicious food. I know there are bound to be some failures along the way, but hopefully the success stories will out number them.

"Think Globally, Act Locally" is a phrase you often hear when it comes to the environment and what you can do to help. My solution is to plant some food and flowers I love. I challenge you to do the same. Who knows, maybe you'll discover a vegetable or herb you didn't know you liked. You'll get outside and away from the computer or television and get some exercise while you are at it. That might even lead to some weight loss or other green changes. Before you know it Victory will be yours.