Not to be dramatic, but Food Network star Ina Garten is my north star. When I'm stressed out, I love to scroll through her Instagram or turn on a few episodes of The Barefoot Contessa and lose myself in her relaxed, coastal attitude. When I need a recipe for chocolate cake — one that I know will impress — her's is the first profile I'm visiting. And when I want some homemaking advice from one of the most famous and cheeky homemakers around, I'm following the guidance of the woman whose class, humor, and taste have together spawned a million imitations (and a million memes — does the phrase 'If you can't summon the flames directly from Hell, storebought will do' mean anything to you? If not, it should).
As we move into the summer season, I find myself once again attuned to Ina's recommendations, this time as they relate to the bountiful garden in her East Hampton home. Flowers are tricky; you could have all the best gardening supplies, but without a green thumb (or at least some good advice) your yard could easily look as a dry and barren as the Addams Family Manor. And don't we want a garden full of flowers that bloom in summer?
