caring for home:
Although this post falls under the category of caring for home, I truly believe time in the garden is one of the best ways of caring for yourself. I remember during the days of COVID, I spent so much time on my outdoor deck, at the creekside flower bed, and in the front landscape. When all the world around me felt like utter chaos, there was this deep seated pull to get my hands in dirt. I needed a little spring garden inspiration then, and I still need it today.
At the time I was a Microsoft SharePoint Coordinator for our IT business, and getting my hands in dirt was tangible stress relief in a world where most of my hours were spent online. Since then, the world has gone back to a semi-normal place to live, I’ve left my career, and we’ve sold our house. But even in a 1,300 square foot apartment, there is still a need to get my hands in dirt. It quiets my thoughts, stills my heart, and truly makes the world a prettier place. So today, I want to share a little spring garden inspiration with you. Maybe it will encourage you to begin dreaming and planning out your own secret garden spaces, too.
What inspires you?
I love walking through the home and garden centers as spring approaches. In fact, I’m quiet impatient in these early months of the year, and more times than not, I end up having to bring in all the things my happy hands planted before the danger of frost had passed. In fact, one year I ended up with frogs hopping around my kitchen because of my impatience. They had found a cozy place to snuggle in inside of a few of my potted plants. When I brought the pots in, they hopped out…and hopped all around my kitchen floor. It was quite the excitement.
But walking through the garden center may not be enough. You and I need to know what it is that truly inspires us. Is it an arboretum nearby, or the tulip gardens at The Biltmore Estate, or an estate garden we visited during a vacation? There are actual landscape architects that plan those gardens for years before they are fully grown.
We can take inspiration from what we love and replicate it in our own garden. Is it the color palette, or the varying heights? Do we love in-ground plants or do we prefer a potted variety? Are the pots we love a mis-matched set with various colors and patterns and textures, or do we lean into an all terracotta moment? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need a little spring garden inspiration.
Knowing what inspires us can keep us from overspending at the garden center, help us develop our own garden spot with interest and variety, and can help us achieve success from the start.
Know your growth zone.
When we made our move during the summer of 2023, (we lived part time in two locations for a little over two years) it didn’t occur to me that an hour and forty five minutes would completely change my growth zone. Most of the plants I’d had success with in one location absolutely floundered in the other. Plants that wouldn’t grow in one place were complete winners in another.
Learning my new growth zone was challenging for me. Plants I loved before would not thrive and I had to find ways to recreate the look and feel with plants that would survive my new location. I can’t tell you how much disappointment I felt when several of my potted plants didn’t survive that first summer.
But given time and a little research, I was able to recreate the look with ease – and with plants that will survive the new growth zone.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.
While I don’t recommend experimenting with plants that may not thrive outside your growth zone, I highly recommend experimenting with varieties of plants you may not have considered before.
One year I purchased a variety of oregano for my herb box. It was variegated oregano and it was so beautiful and full I ended up planting in a large terracotta pot and using it as a decorative plant. The fragrance when the sun hit it was so fresh and clean. When we choose to experiment in our gardens – no matter the size, we often find ways of adding beauty and texture in ways we may not have imagined before.
I’ve looked every spring and summer since and have never found another seller of variegated oregano. But you can be sure if I ever find it again, I will purchase it in bulk simply because of its beauty and fragrance. In fact, when I’m in the planning phase for my spring and summer garden, I always add a little variegated oregano to my spring garden inspiration.
Understand appropriate parings.
Did you know that some plants live and grow well together and others can actually kill each other out? Simply doing a little research when planting multiple plants in one location can keep you from doing unintentional harm.
One plant I have found to be a true winner is variegated ivy. It grows like a weed, can be propagated in water, and pairs beautifully with most plants. Last summer I added a three small pots of ivy to a couple of my other planters and when fall came around, I moved enough ivy to my flower boxes – and it completely filled them! I will have enough this spring to underplant most of my pots.
Map out your garden plan before spring arrives.
This last time is a tried and true one as we settle into an area with a much smaller outdoor space. We are fortunate enough to have two outdoor patios; one covered and one uncovered. The uncovered patio gets full sun during the spring and summer, but the covered patio sits in such a way it never receives any sunlight. Plants on the front patio must be able to handle the hot summer sun – and the plants on the back patio must be able to thrive in full shade.
But planning a spring garden space – even if it’s simply an apartment balcony – requires thought. Do you want seating? Will you be dining outdoors? Do you want to incorporate a water feature? Can you easily water and maintain your garden space? What is your main focus or intention; is it an herb or kitchen garden, or is it decorative only? Will it be a combination of the two?
Then, once you know how you want your garden to function, start by sketching out the space you have in mind. Build a Pinterest board of outdoor spaces that inspire you, noting what it is about each one that catches your attention.
My garden plans for the spring
I placed my kitchen herbs in a raised bed planter box last year, and while it worked well, I didn’t like the look of it. I wanted an English garden inspired look and the black raised planter box completely detracted from the vibe.
This year, I plan to have all of my kitchen herbs in terracotta pots on our front porch (full sun) patio. In fact, I plan to have them located near my kitchen window so I can simply raise the window glass to water or cut herbs from my kitchen! The front patio is smaller than our back patio, so the seating we have is smaller, but we do want to go out and sit in the sun from time to time.
The back patio will receive the black raised bed planter. In it I’ve overwintered my coral bells and all that propagated ivy. In the spring I plan to fill it with trailing plants that can survive the shade, add in a hosta or two, and probably a few pots of impatiens. The back patio is where our outdoor dining set is and we often take out the SONOS speaker and a couple of USB lamps to enjoy the evening hours of summer.
Dream a little dream
While we come to the end of winter and look forward to the spring days ahead, why not spend a little time dreaming of your outdoor spaces? How can you liven them up with greenery, plants, potted trees, or a kitchen herb garden?
There is solace in the dirt, friend. It’s good for the soul and it’s good for the world you live in!
xo, Billie
Our Terracotta Balcony Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/BillieRossForwardOurMail/balcony-terracotta-garden/_tools/more-ideas/?ideas_referrer=23
Creating an English Country Garden in a Small Space: https://forwardourmail.com/english-country-garden/
