A Guide to the Best of Southern California : GARDENS : Patch Work

Ah, spring is in the air and thoughts turn to . . . gardening. Unless, of course, you’ve got a brown thumb and wouldn’t know a rutabaga from a leek--in which case you can turn to Janie Malloy of Home Grown.

Malloy, a University of Texas communications graduate who has always loved to garden, “stumbled into the business” after showing a neighbor her prize patch.

“The neighbor turned to her husband and said, ‘Wouldn’t everybody love to have a garden like this?’ and a light went off.”

Malloy will come to your home and evaluate your budget and your space. She has installed gardens on patios and hillsides, as well as on level turf.

A full installation with drip irrigation, biodynamic soil, timer, raised bed and labor averages $600 to $800. Weekly maintenance is $25, plus cost of extra supplies, such as seeds or materials for nontoxic pest control. Consultations are available at $25 an hour.

And if that’s not enough, Malloy will teach you exactly what to do with the stuff: She also teaches vegetarian cooking classes at Pasadena City College.

Home Grown, by appointment only; (818) 398-2057.