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The Long-Awaited Garden Tour VIDEO

• 169 comments
• Jun 21, 2016

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy .

Today I’m sharing something near and dear to me; a video tour of my parents’ stunning garden. I’ve shown you glimmers of it on Snapchat (@natashaskitchen) and Instagram  but here is the grand garden tour .

We’ve been living with my parents for a couple of months now (while house hunting after selling our home), and we have been able to document my parents setting up their garden, witness what the upkeep entails, and film everything that grows there. My parents are master gardeners. They are amazing at what they do and I hope this video brings you beautiful inspiration.

Click below to watch the (4-minute) Garden Tour:

This video was quite a project for my husband, Vadim, who filmed it over the course of several days. He got up early to capture the garden’s morning glow to avoid harsh sunlight and put it together beautifully. This is a video we will personally look back on and treasure. I hope you enjoy my parents’ vegetable garden video.

Thank you so much for watching!

The grandkids are always rummaging through the garden and finding sweet treasures. My son loves the strawberries while my baby girl is most drawn to the black current bushes :).

Haha and so am I! 😉

Here’s my very favorite spot in the garden – the space between the fruit trees and the grape vines. It’s even more surreal in the video because you feel like you’re right there!

Q: Do you keep a garden? Let me know what you love to plant in a comment below!

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Hi Natasha, really enjoyed the garden tour at your folks place. Your parents are so young, which is wonderful. Do you teach your children, as well as their other grandchildren how to grow and live off of the land? It is so important. Also, do you ever travel across the Oregon border to visit with Aaron and Laura of Garden Answer? They travel to Boise quite a bit to shop. They are wonderful gardeners, as well. Also, I really enjoy your cookbook. God bless you.

Your blog is amazing! Looking for things to make for my Russian Ukrainian husband!

Thank you Caitlyn! I hope you both enjoy the recipe!

Oh my goodness, that was beautiful! I’ll never have a garden like that, but I wish I knew someone who did just so that I could walk through it. It’s so ALIVE and so abundant. What wonderful parents and what Hard Workers they are. I love your cooking videos Natasha and this was a real treat too. Hugs to your whole family. <3

Hi Carolyn, thank you very much for the sweet comment, blessings to you and your family 😬. Have a great New Year!

Hi! Just wondering where their garden is, everything seems to grow so healthy so they must get amazing weather!

Hi Dominique, we live in Idaho (the Treasure Valley) – we have all 4 seasons and it’s a fairly dry climate so we have to water well during summer 🙂

What an amazing video (both content, and quality of production)! My paternal grandparents “retired” to a 3-acre parcel of land in Michigan (from Illinois) and my grandmother (“Granny”) was from Lithuania. They had an expansive garden with may fruits and veggies (but not quite the magnitude of what your parents accomplish in their spectacular garden). Granny always shared her abundance of home-grown, organic food with family and friends, and did lots of canning, cooking and baking as well. She taught me how to can and preserve foods, how to grow organically, and how to compost. I really enjoyed this video, and it brought back some great memories of time on my grandparents “farm” before they passed. BTW, they remained active and gardening until their later years, and passed one week apart from each other, in their early nineties. Thank you for sharing this. It is inspirational, and frankly, emotional.

P.S. I also just watched your 2016 Bloopers video, and love (LOVE!) that you two keep it real and funny. Thank you so very much for all you do and share!

Aw, that’s so sweet! We are truly blessed! Thank you for following Scott and for sharing such kind and thoughtful comments! P.s. I’m glad you enjoyed the Bloopers Reel as much as we do!

Congratulations to your parents. I know how much work it is that they are doing. I grew up on a 100 acre farm. Work was never done. I am sure they are happy to share their crops with their family. Mary.

You’re so thoughtful Mary! We are definitely blessed!

That’s a lot of hard work there, that pays off in later use. Beautiful garden, great job!! 🙂

Thank you Lina, it really is alot of work!

Love the beautiful garden! We have a very small plot of land but have done square-foot gardening and it works for our little family of 5! We got to grow a variety of plants in a tiny space. Do your parents put the greenhouse back on when in starts getting chillier at the end of summer? Or do they just leave it off? Thanks!

Thank you! 🙂 It depends on how quickly the frost starts – if it’s early, they do cover the cucumbers and tomatoes to keep them alive longer.

Hi Natasha, Love the video of the garden. I am a garden enthusiast and I grow exotic tropical mostly from seeds such as Heliconias, Irises, Lilies etc.

It is rather challenging to grow from seeds these exotic plants but soooo worth the effort and the hidden credit card statements for seed purchase. (My husband thinks I am reseeding).

I really love your recipes as well. I got some really creative recipes for breakfast for my most critical tasters yet – My twin girls.

Didn’t get a spit out, throw in the garbage response yet. So we are on to something here!

Keep well and boy do you have gorgeous kids.

Thank you Sharon! I’m so happy to hear your girls enjoy my recipes :). That’s awesome!! And thank you for the sweet compliment 🙂

This might seem out of context but if anything take it as a compliment. I recently gave birth and was wondering what did you do to get back in shape. You look very good, any suggestions concerning the middle section? Thanks!!!

Hi Rita, thank you! You are so sweet to say so :). To be honest, I think the biggest thing for me was breastfeeding but after about 6 months post-partum, I did do a sugar-free diet (no added sugars except for natural ones like honey and maple syrup) for a couple of months which I felt like helped me get rid of my belly faster. Now it’s just eating in mostly and I did start jogging 3-4 times a week around the neighborhood in the mornings :).

This just made my day, I am seriously smiling ear to ear after watching this not once, but TWICE! You’re parents are brilliant gardeners. What a blessing to you and your sister’s families to reap the harvest!

Oh I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing that with me :). We are so thankful for our parents and all they do for us 🙂

Thank you for sharing this video and it is so inspiring! Would you also share your parents advice how to dial with aphid on cucumbers. I have a little garden and this is my big problem, but I don’t want to use any chemicals. Thank you so so much!!!

Hi Roza, I asked my Mom and she said they don’t really have a problem with aphid on cucumbers. It may be region specific – I would suggest calling your local nursery to see what they recommend. Sorry I’m not much help.

Can I tell u the truth Natasha? My name is Natasha as well and that’s the only reason I probably remember your name that good😀. But that’s not the truth I want to share with u. Last night I went to bed at 2 and now it’s 5:55am but I feel like I need to write this comment. The reason I went to bed at 2 is because I was washing whole bunch of dishes from a party of 40 people I invited for my husbands birthday. And right now I really need to be sleeping instead of writing this comment because in the morning my husband and our 4 kids are going to Florida for a week vocation. If u would see me right now u would think I am drunk or had a death in the family but that’s not the case at all. I simply didn’t sleep for more than 5 hours for the last 3 night trying to prepare for the party then cleaning up after the party and yesterday because I needed to pack for our trip today (in few hours). By the way, tell your husband Happy Birthday! U mentioned that his birthday is around 4th of July right? My husband’s birthday is the 1st 🎈. I respect and I mean RESPECT people like your parents who still in our convinience (get it from the freezer & put in in the microwave) work hard to provide for them, their kids, their grandkids, their son in law and I know many others with the REAL organic stuff and not just the label. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼Thank u thank u and thank u for this video because I am trying to have a garden but as of now don’t have one yet. And right now I am crying because looking at your kids enjoy grandmas fruits, berries and veggies I know that Grandma and grandpa put a lot of work into this. Tell them thank as well. I don’t have a garden but I go to a u pick garden here where I live (AL) and I LOVE IT!!! There is nothing better than the real stuff that God created Himself and wanted humans to eat this way and be healthy!!!! But in today’s days we see laziness and excuses of “I am just too busy” , “I work”, or “I don’t have lots of land”. That’s a big lie!!! Why I say that? Because how many people out there that u know who don’t have a Facebook account??? That’s right almost everyone 🙂 Well,?! How come they have time for that Facebook, Instagram, and many other things? I bet your parents don’t have one because they got no time for that! I want to tell my mom a big “thank you” as well because she has a tiny back yard and yet all her 5 kids, 3 son in laws, 1 daughter in law, her 8 grandkids and many more guests get to enjoy the fresh stuff of the vine. Thank u mom. And now my sister lives in a home and because she has 3 little ones, mom planted not only hers, but helped my sister get hers started. Do u think my mom knows how to send a video on a phone to me? No. Why? Because she does physical work and not finger (texting) work. I want to have a garden too because I want my kids healthy and also know that if u want it organic? You have to fork for it! I really hope I will have one next year after we will build our house and the busyness of the paper work and running to the bank and from the bank will all be behind us :). You have a sweet family! May God bless you guys! Don’t stop what u r doing. I make lots of food from your site and people are impressed all the time! When my husband will get up, I will show him this video and tell him : “honey, that’s exactly what I want!” 🙂

Oh my goodness, a party of 40! Wow!! Yes my husbands birthday is today (the 4th of July!) I’m so glad you were inspired by the video! 🙂 Thank you for your sweet comment 🙂

The first time I watched the video I had my phone on silence because I didn’t want to wake my husband up lol. And when he woke up I showed him with the volume. But what’s funny is that I did not know what u where saying the dirt time and I cried because I thought of my parents and how they do all of that when we r not there and when grandkids show up we think it’s peace of cake to have it nice and blooming. But the truth is there is a lot of work behind the science .

That’s awesome!! Thanks for writing in :). I’m so glad you enjoyed the video and that it made you think of your parents 🙂

wonderful video, how amazing to grow up with a garden like this. No wonder you are such a great cook Natasha

Thank you Diana for your sweet comment, we are counting our blessings 😊.

Wonderful video. I hope my garden looks like your parents garden in a few years

Thank you Lynn, it was a fun project for my husband 😀.

Natasha your parent’s garden looks absolutely incredible-so much hard work and dedication!And so productive with such a good use of land.They are such a hard working people to keep this garden up!Also kudos to Vadim for making a great video!I have a small garden too-growing tomatoes,cucumbers,radish,dill,cilantro ,basil and zucchini this year.Nothing compares to food you are grown on your own!

Thank yo so much! I absolutely agree about growing your own food and great job on keeping a garden! You planted all the good stuff :).

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10 Best YouTube Gardening Channels For Garden Lovers

By: Author Adriana Copaceanu

Posted on Last updated: December 1, 2020

Categories Gardening 101

Are you someone that learns by watching? If so, you need to check out the best YouTube Gardening Channels . These YouTube channels are packed full of gardening skills and a great way to get correct gardening help.

Table of Contents

Best YouTube Gardening Channels

There are so many different options for a good gardening channel on YouTube. Each option listed below is packed full of gardening tips and is ran by people who have a lot of great gardening experience as well. From starting your own homestead or learning how to be an organic gardener, there is so much great information to watch.

Food gardening youtube channels

In this list, you’ll find some of the top food gardening channels that talk about starting a food forest and more.

1. Edible Acres

Edible Acres is a nursery in the state of New York that will teach you all about permaculture and small space gardening . If you’re been dabbling in the idea of container garden versus small space gardening, make certain to pay attention to how they handle those issues.

Check out his video about building a greenhouse for about $150:

2. One Yard Revolution

Find out all about organic gardening techniques and sustainable gardening. No secrets here on how to plant the best gardening system possible.

Being able to learn from a channel that showcases gardening steps that are simple and easy to implement is key.

The video below shows how to prune tomatoes for better yields and to keep them healthy:

3. MIgardener

This YouTube channel offers great tips on how to grow fruits and vegetables as well as offering healthy recipes and dish ideas.

Consider this a one-stop-shop where you can learn how to grow, cook, and enjoy literally the fruits of your labor.  Bookmark for food inspiration tips!

Check out how he prunes his zucchini plants for better yield:

4. The Rusted Garden

What you’ll find here is plenty of tips about tomatoes and vegetable gardening . He literally has thousands of videos that offer tips for the best tomato plant care .

If you’re unfamiliar with how many different types of tomato plants there are, this channel will be eye-opening to you. It’s also interesting to think about how they are similar in a way but require different needs, too.

Interesting experiment here:

5. The Gardening Channel With James Prigioni

The entire premise of this channel is that it’s important to understand that gardening doesn’t have to be hard. He teaches simple methods and simple tips on how to garden with ease.

There is a strong following for this channel because people who want to garden are certain to find this information easy to use and easy to understand. It’s no secret that a lot of people tend to shy away from gardening because they’re fearful that they don’t have that “green thumb”. (but in all reality, anyone can garden!)

I LOVE his enthusiasm! And his cute little dog 🙂

Watch James build a hinged hoop house for a raised bed garden:

6. Epic Gardening

Ready to learn how to grow a garden all year long? This channel will show you that your garden can be a space that grows your foods at any time of the year.

In the video below, Kevin is showing how to plant, grow, and powder ginger:

Flower gardening youtube channels

Since the above links talked all about good gardening, don’t forget to check out these awesome flower gardening channels as well.

7. Garden Answer

You’ve got flower questions, she’s got answers. Find out what her top tips are for planting succulents and other great tips for plant care as well.

The name of this channel should be a huge indicator of the type of advice and tips that you’ll be receiving.

I LOVE Laura and her videos! Her gardens are a huge inspiration and I could sit and watch her all day long. Watch her turn a laundry basket into a strawberry planter:

8. FRESHCUTKY Cut Flower and Vegetable Garden

If you’re looking for a way to plant flowers and seeds from scratch, watching this simple gardening channel can be a great option.

The popularity of this YouTube channel stems from the fact that multiple topics are discussed and talked about. This can easily gauge the interest of a wider audience which can then result in a broader array of topics being discussed.

If you want to plant sunflowers, learn all you need to know from this video:

9. Kelly Lehman

You won’t want to miss the beautiful flowers here! Every week there are tips on flower garden design, planting flowers, and insight and knowledge that she has gathered from her very own flower farm.

Being able to get great flower tips from someone who literally implements them in their own garden is proof that she knows what she is talking about. This makes following along with her and her tips a great resource.

If you love hydrangeas and want to get more blooms, Kelly shoes you how below. Or, change the color of your hydrangea flowers with one little trick.

10. Northlawn Flower Farm

Get all the tips from this master gardener! When it comes to plant care and options for how to plant flowers and other plants in your front yard, back yard, or anywhere in between, these videos will be a huge help.

She even shows how to make floral arrangements, dry out flowers properly, and more. This channel is a great resource for some decorating ideas as well. If you ever wanted to grow a cut flower garden from seeds, you’ll love these 6 easy plants:

Using online videos is a great resource for being able to learn about gardening all year long, especially during the wintertime when it isn’t much you can do in the garden. Spend some time watching your favorite YouTube gardening channels.

Depending on where you live in the world, there might not be an option to garden outdoors during all the months but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take those months to learn more about how to garden to be prepared for next year.

Living in an area with inclement weather just means that you can put your attention onto YouTbe channels and possibly even a great podcast or two that can teach your more tips to hit the ground running with gardening when the time is right.

That way, you can continue to enhance your gardening craft and your mind so that you can then use those tips to create the best flower garden or vegetable card later.

What are your go-to gardening YouTube channels?

Adriana Copaceanu

Adriana Copaceanu is a passionate nature lover living in the country on her dream property where she grows vegetables, lavender, and wildflowers that she shares with the wildlife they attract. When she's not in the garden, she loves spending time with her chickens and planning her next nature project. Check out her books below:

How to Grow Lavender for Fun and Profit: Lessons Learned from Planting Three Hundred Lavender Plants

How to Raise Chickens for Eggs: A Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens for Nutritious, Organic Eggs at Home

• Adriana Copaceanu https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/author/adriana-copaceanu/ How to Care for a Lavender Tree
• Adriana Copaceanu https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/author/adriana-copaceanu/ 5 Fun Breeds Of Chickens That Lay Blue Eggs
• Adriana Copaceanu https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/author/adriana-copaceanu/ 5 Fun Breeds Of Chickens That Lay Green Eggs
• Adriana Copaceanu https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/author/adriana-copaceanu/ 17 Incredible Ideas For Landscaping with Hydrangeas in Front of the House

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8 stunning virtual garden tours around the world

These are bloomin' beautiful...

Make the most of your sofa-surfing time and take a visual journey through some of the most impressive gardens with your feet up and a cup of tea in hand.

Soak up the beauty of the plants and historic architecture at Kew Gardens, wander with awe through the colour explosion at the flower -filled Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam, and jet off to the paradisiacal palm-fringed jungle canopy of the Hawaiian Tropical Botanic Garden.

Discover eight mood-boosting virtual garden tours below...

Kew Garden, Richmond, England

Surely the UK's crowning garden jewel, Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting 37 acres of woodland, 14,000 trees and over 50,000 living plants.

Kew Palace is where its rich history, spanning nearly 400 years, began; the Arboretum is a living library of trees; and the Marianne North Gallery boasts over 800 paintings of plants and flowers. There are also several beautiful historic follies scattered throughout the gardens, including the Pagoda, built in 1762 for Princess Augusta.

Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France

Monet's Water Lilies, a series of 250 paintings, were all inspired by his beautiful garden in Giverny, Normandy.

There are in fact two parts to Monet's garden: a flower garden called Clos Normand which sits in front of the house, and the Japanese-inspired Water Garden on the other side of the road. Both are exquisitely beautiful, and contrast and complement one another.

Monet and his family settled in Giverny in 1883, but it wasn't until 10 years later in 1893 that he bought the piece of land neighbouring his property on the other side of the railway, where the water garden now lies.

As arguably the most important painter of gardens in the history of art, Claude Monet himself once said he owed his painting 'to flowers'.

Take a virtual tour

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, England

A Rothschild family home since the late 1800s and a National Trust property, the utterly majestic Waddesdon Manor is a French Renaissance château, built in the 19th century, and filled with royal treasures and an extensive art collection.

The gardens are an exceptional example of late Victorian garden design, and were first conceived by Ferdinand de Rothschild and extended by Alice de Rothschild.

Lined with beautiful blooms, tall trees and elegant sculptures and fountains, the gardens are looked after by 19 horticulturists plus a team of dedicated volunteers.

When Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild purchased the Waddesdon Estate in 1874, he had large trees transplanted from near-by estates to create an instant garden. His favourite were the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees, many of which were transplanted over 140 years ago and still survive.

Take a tour of the interiors here , and the gardens below.

RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, England

The RHS Wisley Garden in Surrey is one of the world's greats, packed with endless horticultural inspiration. The stunning Mixed Borders are probably the most iconic and celebrated area of the garden.

Originally designed by horticulturist Graham Stuart Thomas, the borders are 128m long and 6m wide and backed by hornbeam hedges. The beautiful Laboratory building is a must-see. You can go on a virtual tour in pictures here , or a video tour below.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, US

Every year, more than one million people visit the Chicago Botanic Garden, which boasts 385 acres of land with 27 gardens and four natural areas, including an English Oak Meadow, the Plant Science Centre, Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden, and a renowned Bonsai Collection .

The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and operated by the Chicago Horticultural Society.

Keukenhof, Amsterdam, Holland

Looking for an exquisite, show-stopping array of flowers? This is it. The Keukenhof, which in Dutch means 'kitchen garden', has been around since the 15th century and covers 32 hectares. It became a public garden in 1950 and now welcomes over a million visitors a year. From the authentic 19th-century windmill, to the gigantic flower bulb mosaic, covering an area of 250m² and consisting of 50,000 tulips, grape hyacinths and crocuses, it's utterly spectacular.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Papaikou, Hawaii

This one-of-a-kind garden is a museum of living plants and it is truly beautiful. The Garden's collection of tropical plants is international in scope with over 2,000 species, representing more than 125 families and 750 genera.

Opened in 1984 by owner Dan J. Lutkenhouse, it's since been sold to a non-profit trust for the public to enjoy. Mr.Lutkenhouse, himself, chose the location of every plant and tree introduced to the Garden.

Throughout the tropical rainforest there are bubbling streams, beautiful waterfalls and exciting ocean vistas along the rugged Pacific coast.

US Botanic Gardens, Washington, US

Established in 1820, this is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America. The US Botanic Garden is located in Washington, and is supervised by the Congress through the Architect of the Capitol, who is responsible for maintaining the grounds of the United States Capitol.

From roses to orchids, the rainforest to the Mid-Atlantic, and rare and endangered plants, you will find a world of horticultural delights in the permanent exhibits and gardens. Any time of year, you'll see something beautiful in bloom at the US Botanic Garden Conservatory, the National Garden, and Bartholdi Park.

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

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IKEA to reopen stores across England and Wales

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Garden Tour: Melissa’s Magical Shade Garden

Welcome to Melissa’s dream garden, completed in 2021 after taking the Design Your 4 Season Garden course . 

Melissa lives in Zone 6B near the Boston area. She lives in a beautiful home, but the yard was a blank slate. She dreamed of having a beautiful cottage-style garden, filled with flowers. But, while she tried to plant things here and there, it never felt successful..  

“I did everything you said – bought pretty plants and popped them in the ground.  No groupings, no thought in advance.” 

She didn’t think she was capable of designing a landscape. 

“Periodically I would buy a few plants at the nursery, haphazardly plant them, pay little attention to them and of course nothing resembling a garden resulted,” she said. “I had no idea how to design a garden.”  

She thought the only solution was to hire a professional, so she budgeted about $15,000 for the project. But, the landscape design company seemed really disinterested in the job, noting they were very busy with other projects and she may have to wait 4-5 months. In addition, they estimated that she’d need at least $18,000, depending on the specifics of the project.

Annoyed with their fees, delays and general disinterest, she told the landscape designers to take a hike. She began to wonder, “Why can’t I do this myself?” 

Despite her years of unsuccessful planting efforts, Melissa took to books and the internet to learn more about designing her own landscape. She kept wondering why there wasn’t a course to learn how to do this. 

“And then, by a stroke of luck, I found YOU,” she said. 

Melissa enrolled in the Design Your 4 Season Garden course and immediately got to work planning her garden! 

“I have been working very hard every night and I am extremely energized to give this my best shot,” she wrote in an email to me.

“Thank you for being my INSPIRATION!  I never would have even attempted this before meeting you and taking the course.  I am grateful for all you do.  Your passion for gardening is infectious!!!!” -Melissa

While she was committed to her project and full of energy and enthusiasm, it didn’t come without challenges. Namely about money mindset, finding time to complete the work and having the confidence to design the plans. 

Mindset Challenges

Her mindset on the total cost of the project was a really important factor. 

“Having that big price tag in my head made me realize that if I am going to do this, I need to pay for plants. So I pretty much just said it’s going to cost me, but a ton less than the landscaper. And, it’s also going to come out soooo much better. …That mindset was critical because, as a friend told me last week, “you buy ten plants at the nursery and it’s $200!” If I didn’t have that “it’s gonna cost so don’t be cheap” mindset , I really couldn’t do it, at least not on the scale I did.”

If you’re struggling with price issues, a great exercise is to get quotes from local design companies . Then, do some of your own research on the cost of plants and equipment.

This will give you a baseline to work from so you can create your dream garden without being blindsided by the cost .

Labor Challenges

Melissa decided to use some of the money she budgeted to prepare her garden beds. Local landscapers dug out her beds, tilled in good soil and gave her the perfect blank slate to install her new garden. 

This was definitely worth the investment, she says, as it cut down her prep time and labor for the project so she could focus on the design.

Design Challenges

While taking the course, Melissa regularly emailed me her plans and asked for feedback every step of the way. At one point of the process, she wrote,

“I am terrified about the next step of mapping out layout, but I think I will just dive in and try.” 

It’s amazing what you’re capable of if you just trust the process and do the work . She credits the step-by-step format in the course with keeping her project on track. 

“Landscape design is really hard,” she says.

“It was way harder than I even thought it would be, and I expected it to be hard. The lighting, the soil, working around what you already have combined with each plant and its size, light requirements….it’s just a lot. It absolutely requires a course and I was surprised that I never found one until I found yours.”

Melissa’s Gardens

Melissa used the course to design two garden beds in her landscape. The first was a challenging, muddy side yard that she wanted to turn into a 22’ long walkway. The space is shady and flanked by a fence and a deck. The biggest challenge was that the space was so narrow, leaving space for only 2’ wide beds on either side of the walkway.

The second garden bed was the entire border of her backyard, along the fence line. This bed was about 95% empty when she started. Different sun exposures and the sheer size of this bed at 48’ wide and 15’ deep made it a daunting task.

The side was a total mud pit before creating this garden. The bed goes past her deck on the left and leads to the backyard. This is a super narrow area with stepping stones in the middle and two long beds that are 2’x22’.

• Considerations   –  Super narrow area with two, narrow and long beds. Lots of shade limits plant choices.
• Size   –  Each bed is 2’ wide by 22’ deep, separated by a walkway in the center.
• Light   –  Part-sun to shade.
• Color Scheme – Pink & Chartreuse
• Main Season of Interest – Summer

Using what she learned in the course, Melissa used a harmonious and exciting combination of evergreen shrubs, perennial plants and groundcovers to create this magical woodland walkway.

Not only is the combination of plants beautiful, but it’s also unique and shows off her personality so well. She adds,

“I loved your course and I love your approach to garden design.  It just makes sense and you are a wonderful teacher.”

Back Garden Design

This back garden bed was 95% empty before Melissa’s new garden bed was installed. In early spring, more than half of the area was grass with an old scruffy tree in the left corner. The area left a lot to be desired and Melissa was determined to use what she’s learned to turn this into the space she’s always dreamed about. 

• Considerations   –  Low fences on each side and a high fence in the back. Several existing trees to design around (arborvitae, crab apple). Difficult to use the same plants because different areas of the garden bed get different amounts of sun.  
• Size   – 6’ fence.  48’ wide by 15’ at its deepest point. 
• Light   –  Primarily part-sun. Full sun on the left side with a long stretch of afternoon sun. The rest has dappled, part sun.
• Style   –  Cottage
• Color Scheme – Pink, Burgundy and Chartreuse

Melissa struggled at first to create repetition and flow in this garden bed, mostly because of the varying amounts of sun that parts of the bed receive. But, she was able to use what she learned in the course to choose the right plants for the right places, while still making this garden bed feel cohesive yet unique. She used a combination of several different evergreens mixed with flowering shrubs, perennial plants, even grasses, ferns, sedges and vines.

The step-by-step format of the course enabled her to make lots of different plant selections with confidence. The end result is a gorgeous, professional looking garden that incorporates all of the plants and colors that Melissa loves. 

Continuing Her Gardening Journey

Melissa’s love of garden design didn’t stop after taking the course ! In 2022, she continued using the skills she learned to design several new garden beds. These included: the side of her backyard, a bed near the back of her house and a sun-loving garden bed on the other side of her house.

To see all of Melissa’s gardens, including the new side yard design, watch this video!

A Massive Transformation

After taking the course, Melissa not only has a beautiful garden, but a new hobby that will continue to reward her as the years go by. She adds, 

“It’s been quite a life-changing experience (thanks to you!). Looking at my “before” photos right now is pretty shocking.”

I asked Melissa how she feels about garden design and how things may have changed for her since she’s taken the course. Here’s what she said. 

“A MASSIVE transformation took place. I designed a beautiful garden from scratch and planted it. I know all of the steps and considerations needed to design a garden.  I loved Amy’s step by step approach. It was so logical and practical and effective. I always wondered why there wasn’t a course like this, and then I found it!  If you are a gardening novice and are remotely considering this course, take it.  You will be happy you did.”

Melissa kept track of the cost of her plants and other purchases like a wheelbarrow, hoses, accessories, hardscaping (large stepping stones and cobbles), soil, soil delivery and a day of labor. In the end, the cost of her new garden was half the price of paying the landscape design company.

“I told a friend I feel like I had a baby.  I love it and want to ‘baby’ it. And watch it grow.  I am so excited to see it blossom. And I am so proud of it. Every plant was my choice. Every location was my choice. I had a plan and redid the plan and evolved the plan, but in the end, it came out as it was supposed to.”

Final Thoughts

Melissa had budgeted to pay about $15,000 for a professional landscape design. When the company came back at $18,000 and seemed disinterested in the project, she decided to try it herself. 

She made all of the mistakes that beginner gardeners make, such as buying pretty plants and plopping them into the ground without much thought in advance about design. Not surprisingly, her efforts were unsuccessful. Then she turned to books and websites to try to learn more and fix some of the issues she was having.

But, she says,

“What you read in books and magazines never breaks down the “how to” like this course does.” -Melissa

Melissa noted that the price of the course is well with it, especially if you’re planning to create multiple gardens like she did. While you have to invest your time, lots of elbow grease and a substantial amount of money on plants (more than you’ll expect), learning how to DIY your own landscape is a really fun and energizing experience .

“I really hope I can help you and help others find you and try your course because it has been truly life-changing for me. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!” MELISSA

I am so grateful to hear about Melissa’s experience and see her beautiful work. I often smile, knowing that I’ve converted another person into a lifelong gardener. And I think that may be what I am called to do in life. What I’m supposed to do.

Gardening is a hobby that continues to give back to me each and every year. I know it will reward me for the rest of my life and I’m so glad I planted that first plant in the ground (so very many) years ago. I want everyone else to experience the joy and excitement of garden design, too… just like Melissa was able to.

So, if you have an itch for gardening and are at all interested in design, I do hope you’ll join me in the Design Your 4-Season Garden Course . I can’t wait to meet you.

If you need any more convincing, here are a few final thoughts from Melissa (I picture her writing this to me while enjoying her brand new backyard garden space).

“This course is fantastic!  Amy has done a very thorough job in preparing top notch videos and a plethora of useful materials to guide the design process.  She is very generous with her time and provided outstanding thoughtful responses to my questions. This course has changed the way I think about gardening and has inspired and empowered me.  I am so grateful that I found Amy and Pretty Purple Door. I have a new hobby I will enjoy for many years as a result!”

If you’re ready to get your dream garden and are looking for a step-by-step framework to follow, this course may be a great fit for you.

Join over 300 other home gardeners who are expressing their creativity and supporting each other when you enroll in the Design Your 4-Season Garden Course today!

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Amy is the founder of Pretty Purple Door and has been a garden designer since 2014 and graphic designer since 2005. She helps home gardeners design their own beautiful landscapes that are colorful in all four seasons, show off your personality and suit your lifestyle. Amy's work has been featured in publications like The Spruce, Family Handyman, Buzzfeed, Country Living Magazine and more. Read full bio .

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This article may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualiying purchases if you shop through links on this page (at no additional cost to you). View Site Policies .

The ultimate resource for garden nerds

YouTube: Garden Tour – The Place That Inspired Garden Variety

• Post author: Christy
• Post published: December 6, 2022
• Post category: Blog / What's Growin' On
• Post comments: 0 Comments

As folks read Garden Variety, friends have been asking for a tour of Ocean View Farms. It’s the garden that inspired the novel. Our latest video takes you on a quick tour of the garden where the whole thing began.

See what’s growin’ on in Christy’s plot, and discover elements of the real community garden where scenes in the Garden Variety story take place.

Garden Tour of Ocean View Farms

Subscribe to the Gardenerd YouTube channel for great how-to videos, garden troubleshooting, and more. For more behind the scenes goodies like this one, become a Patreon Subscriber . You’ll get access to monthly Zoom garden chats and expedited answers to your burning gardening questions.

Resources for this Garden Tour Video

Find a community garden in your area here .

Start a community garden of your own following these guidelines .

Those awesome cages covering Christy’s cabbages? Find those here .

Floating row cover we use to keep rabbits away from our veggies – summer weight garden fabri c.

Get a copy of Garden Variety for yourself or as a gift for a friend here .

Don’t have room to grow? Find a spot of land (check with local churches, schools, and other community spaces) and carve out space for the neighborhood to grow food. Use the guidelines above to get permission to use the land for growing food. Some landlords would rather rent out a spot to veggie gardeners, rather than have to maintain a vacant lot themselves. Make connections and do the work, and a community garden may be in your future!

You Might Also Like

Winter foods.

Podcast: Culinary Gardens and Beekeeping with Robin Jones

Thankful Tuesday: Grateful for the Garden

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• Get Involved

Take a Virtual Tour

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To get a feel for what you might see when you come visit the U.S. Botanic Garden, we encourage you to take our virtual tour. You’ll get a peek at our Conservatory , gated outdoor gardens and Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens , but the plant displays and exhibits are likely to be different each time you come.

Find lots more ways you can connect with the Garden from home at www.USBG.gov/AtHome !

Virtual Tour

• Jump into a virtual tour in full screen

We've worked with Google Street View to gather 360-degree imagery throughout the Garden -- both in the outdoor gardens and also inside the Conservatory! A few proposed starting points are embedded below. You can interact with them to look around and move in any direction. Every garden room throughout the Garden can be explored! Also, if you make the image full screen, you'll see a map in the bottom left that will show in blue all the pathways through the Garden where you can virtually visit. Enjoy exploring!

​Proposed virtual tour starting points: Outdoor Gardens, Rose Garden:

Conservatory Interior, Tropics House:

Outdoor Gardens, Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens:

• Explore the Garden through stories about our plants (phone or web versions)

Video Tours

• Explore a video tour series of the 2020 Orchid Show (Part 1 of the playlist below See all videos by clicking the video's top right corner or click here to see the full playlist .)

• Tour the Garden with Deputy Executive Director Dr. Susan Pell and learn about plant morphology. (Part 1 of the playlist below. See all videos by clicking the video's top right corner or click here to see the full playlist .)

Explore the Garden through historic photos

• Explore photos of the Garden through 200 years

See daily photos and videos on our Facebook

• See videos and photos of what's in bloom now on the Garden's Facebook page and Instagram channel

Check out my Guide & Workbook that will help you create your dream perennial garden with blooms from spring through fall.

2023 Home Garden Tours

Do you love to go on home garden tours? I do! I was privileged to participate in a garden tour with my local master gardener extension. Garden tours are a fun way to get ideas for your own gardens or see a plant that you ‘need’ to add to your gardens. Garden tours are also a great way to learn about different aspects of gardening.

As an added bonus we had 8×10 before pictures available so visitors could see the changes we have made during the almost 7 years that we have lived here. I will share links to the makeover posts as we go along, so you can check those out if you want to.

My neighbor’s gardens were included in the tours and she has given me permission to share some pictures of her gardens as well. Thanks, neighbor!

This is a picture-heavy post with just a bit of explanation of each picture and the names of the plants included in the pictures. Grab your beverage of choice, and join me as I share these virtual home garden tours. 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See full disclosure here .

Entry Gardens

As visitors walked up the driveway they were greeted by all the cheery blooms in the flower bed that is adjacent to the driveway. The flowers in this bed include both perennials (shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, little pleasures daylilies, south seas daylilies, veronica, etc.) and annuals (marigolds and vinca).

If you are interested, you can find this garden makeover here .

The little girl garden statue at the end of this flower bed can be found here .

Next is the entry garden that is between our front and side doors. This flower bed is one of my favorite 3-season gardens meaning there are perennials blooming from spring through fall. The link above is to our signature course on designing such a flower bed.

I like to add in annuals too and change those up from year-to-year. The flowers that are blooming in the entry garden include an array of perennials (shasta daisies, coneflowers, knautia, salvia, coreopsis and daylilies) and annuals (alyssum, marigolds, vinca and profusion zinnias).

Shade Garden Area

Let’s head around to the backyard to an area I refer to as hosta hill. We have had to remove diseased trees and have lost much of our shade. Part of this area is in shade and part of it gets too much sun for the hostas to be completely happy, so hosta hill is up for some reworking.

As a side note, we have been experiencing drought conditions and you will see lots of very sad, dead grass. We like to keep it real here, so no apologies.

There are many different varieties of hostas and for added color, I like to fill in with coleus and impatiens. The tall dark red shrub along the fence is chokecherry and the tiny tree in the middle is serviceberry. The hubs added the lattice work panel this year to cover the utility boxes in the corner. To see the initial makeover of hosta hill, check out this article  when you’ve finished up here.

Below is a closer look at the wheelbarrow planter full of coleus, calla lilies, impatiens and creeping Jenny. The panicle hydrangea is the Proven Winners Quickfire Fab variety. It will be fun to watch the color change as the season progresses.

The next area is sort of rough due to mulberry stains on plants and too much sun for the hostas, but we all have those areas. To shift the focus away from the ugly, I like to add cute touches like the planter of caladium, new guinea impatiens and ivy with the birdhouse.

Ideas for Garden Art

Along the back fence is about the only flat area in our backyard, so I like to add little vignettes using some upcycled vintage finds . If you like decorating your gardens like this too, be sure to check out the highlighted post above when you’ve finished up here.

This is an area that used to be shady that is now full sun, so there are lots of new plants, including coreopsis, yarrow, marigolds and others. Again, using garden art is a great way to take the focus off of an area that doesn’t have many blooms.

I enjoy using old chairs in the garden. It’s a great way to add character and charm. The rustic planter box was a recent flea market find. It’s filled with lantana and wire vine.

Adding shepherds hooks to your flower planters is a fun way to add instant character to your planters. Finish out the look by hanging a small watering can or solar lantern from the hook. The galvanized planter in the image below is full of colorful tuberous begonias.

It’s easy to find old vintage bicycles and they can add tons of personality to your gardens. I just use zip ties to hold a wicker basket to the handlebar, line it with plastic, fill it with potting mix and plant flowers. The impatiens and ivy weren’t as full as I would have liked for the tour, but they will fill out as summer progresses. The galvanized bucket includes coleus, impatiens and some hidden browalia.

Potting Shed

Now let’s walk across the crunchy, lumpy backyard to visit the potting shed. It’s not really a potting shed, but the sign was cute and adds character to the outside of my garden storage shed. I love to decorate the outside of this shed, but I’ll let you in on a little secret… the inside is a mess. Some day maybe it will be a cute she shed.

The bright blue flowers in the watering can on the bench are browalia. They are one of my favorite shade annuals, but they are difficult to find.

Around the corner is our raised garden bed area. The galvanized steel raised beds are Mr. Ironstone brand and you can find different varieties here . I love them and so do the plants growing in them.

The cutting garden is full of lisianthus (the bright pink flowers), celosia, snapdragons, calendula and a few others. If you are interested in learning more about growing your own cut flower garden, check out this article when you have a few minutes.

Flower Garden on a Slope

On the east side of our backyard is a perennial garden on a slope. It has undergone quite the transformation during the almost 7 years we have lived here. Because of the difficulty of maintaining this flower garden, I’m working to make it a lower maintenance garden by adding in various shrubs.

In the picture below you will see coneflowers, balloon flowers, fooled me daylilies, bee balm, cranesbill and Laura phlox.

Perennials in the picture below include Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susan, coneflowers, balloon flowers and campanula. I like to pop annual flowers into my perennial beds to keep the color going all summer and into fall. The annual flowers are New Guinea impatiens, zonal geraniums and marigolds.

These chippy faux birdhouse stakes have found a place in my garden for many years. I can’t even remember where I initially purchased them, but they would be easy to replicate.

Sometimes flowers will just plant themselves wherever they wish. Case in point, the coneflowers in this grouping with hydrangeas and oriental lilies. Other than the coneflowers trying to block out the oriental lilies, it works and is a pretty little group.

Next, we enter a part of the gardens that were completed in 2020. Part of this area is shade and part is full sun. It’s one of my favorite places to take a break. You can learn more about the makeover of this area here .

If you’re lucky you can find the cutest handmade garden art items on Facebook Marketplace. That’s where I found the adorable wood gnomes, handmade by an older gentleman in a neighboring suburb. The hostas in this picture include, elegans, Maui buttercup, cathedral windows, paradigm and ginko Craig.

The hubs makes the cute faux birdhouse stakes and they look cute anywhere I put them. He’s working on a tutorial that I can share here on the website soon. Perennials here are Herman’s pride, frosted ribbons hosta, rainbow’s end hosta, wrinkle in time hosta and lungwort.

In the same garden area is another creation of hubs – a bench made from a large log slice. I call it the ogre bench.

Although these pictures were just some of the highlights of my gardens, it was fun to be able to share them with you. There are many, many more tips and ideas here at Gingham Gardens. Get all the tips and ideas by subscribing to our weekly newsletter by completing the form below.

Neighbor’s Garden Tour Highlights

I’ve always wanted a neighbor that liked to garden and I finally have one. A lot of our gardening styles are the same and it’s fun to trade ideas. She is very creative and has a knack for putting together the most charming vignettes. I call her gardens – Pinterest on steroids! 

As guests started the tour in the front yard, they were greeted with this adorable entry garden. Don’t you just love the staged garden bench?

Here is a closeup of the hanging galvanized planter with impatiens spilling out. 

More galvanized bucket planters in a grouping with an old whiskey jug.

I believe the next picture is an antique cream separator. Whatever it is, it makes an interesting focal point used as a planter. Plants here include forget-me-nots, coreopsis and yarrow. The flowers in the planter are scaevola.

A vintage cast iron kettle turned on it’s side and used as a planter. Such a cute idea! The momma hen and her chicks can be purchased here .

I don’t know what it is about this next picture, there are no flowers, but it spoke to me. It’s just so simple and charming.

I leave you with this adorable, rustic playhouse that our neighbors built for their grandchildren. It’s just full of creativity and personality. Our grandchildren love it too.

I hope you enjoyed these home garden tours and are leaving today with lots of ideas swirling around in your head. Come back soon for more flower garden ideas and tips.

Happy gardening, Joanna

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