Garden Gourmet: Catherine Hardwicke’s Sustainable Garden Party

Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke’s home veggie garden was featured in the beautiful March 2010 issue of Garden Design magazine, in a brief article, which pointed to a video on their web site, which we’ve posted below.

Catherine Hardwicke also directed the lovely and evocative Christmas classic, The Nativity Story, (which premiered at the Vatican), as well as Thirteen, which she co-wrote with “adopted” daughter Nikki Reed (Rosalie Cullen).

Then, she hit the jackpot filming a first-time novelist’s story with Twilight. She is now the highest grossing female director in history. Next, she will give the Twilight treatment to an upcoming film version of Hamlet, with Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer), and then the folk tale “Red Riding Hood” with star Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls).

So what did she do with what she made from Twilight? She bought the house next door so she could have a (front) yard large enough — in crowded Venice Beach — to plant a vegetable garden. To encourage others to “eat their yards,” she threw a party so all her friends could join in.

Anastasia Bowen writes in Garden Design:

When Catherine Hardwicke needs a break, she’s out of her desk chair and into her garden to snip, pull and pick.

“Every day I eat something out of the garden…” Hardwicke explains, while showing off a surprising variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs in her modest front yard, just steps away from the lively boardwalk in Venice, California…

As someone who has always been avidly concerned with her health and the environment, Hardwicke says, “I wanted to have a demonstration vegetable garden that also looks good.” Already she has enjoyed the bounty of three seasons. “I love salads and being able to go out daily and get fresh greens.”

To inaugerate her garden and to encourage her friends and neighbors to be part of her edible project, the director threw a planting party. “Hopefully people will think: ‘Oh, she did it and she doesn’t have a big front yard. I can do it in mine,’” Hardwicke says.

So, when you are a famous director and you throw a party, you (what else?) make a video of it:

What veggies would you like to grow in your own garden?

If you’re new to gardening, try a raised bed garden in a homemade planter or kiddie pool. We just moved here at Twilight News Site, but are looking forward to growing basil, sweet peas, and summer squash in our new backyard. Mmmm…