Garden Design Stories

10/25/2026

I just wanted to share an article that makes you look at the landscape in a slightly different way.

In 1983, David Nash dug up a section of Kensington Gardens and swapped it with Welsh grassland. Four decades later, Mike Perry’s reverse swap revealed a striking reversal in the fortunes of urban and rural nature

10/22/2026

It’s October 22nd, and I’ve just picked the last dahlia bloom from our garden.

Heading toward winter, feeling grateful and a little wistful.

10/21/2026

A small garden practice for this weekend:

Choose just one planting bed.

Then forget the individual plants for a moment and look at it vertically.

What layers can you see?

Perhaps you have:

✅ a tree canopy
✅ a shrub layer
✅ taller perennials
✅ smaller perennials
✅ groundcovers
✅ bulbs appearing between them

And then look even closer to the ground.

Is there leaf litter?
Bare soil?
Mulch?
A log or branch?
Sunny and shady pockets?

Each change in height, material and condition creates another little opportunity for life.

You don’t necessarily need a bigger garden to create more habitat.

Sometimes you simply need to create more variety within the space you already have.

This idea comes from the latest issue of The Garden Blueprint, where I’m looking at garden beds as habitats, not just decoration.

Save this and try it in your own garden.

And I’d love to know:

Which layer is missing from your planting?

The full Garden Blueprint is linked in my bio.

10/15/2026

Fall brings the best out of some plants.

Add some green behind the woodbine like the arborvitae here, and you have such a striking color combo in your fall garden.

10/14/2026

Before deciding what your garden needs, look beyond its borders.

One of the first things I notice when I arrive at a garden is not actually the garden itself.

I look at what surrounds it.

A woodland edge.
An open field.
Mature trees next door.
A rocky slope.
A view towards water.
Even the vegetation growing just beyond the property line.

Because your garden doesn’t exist in isolation.

The landscape around it can give you clues about its character, soil, and about the habitats that already exist nearby.

Then garden design becomes less about filling an empty plot with things…

…and more about creating connections.

This is one of the ideas I explored in the latest issue of The Garden Blueprint: Garden Beds Are Habitats, Not Just Decoration.

Next time you step outside, try this:

Turn away from your flower beds for a moment and look towards the edges of your property.

What is your garden connected to?

You can read the full issue through the link in my bio.

gardendesignstories

10/08/2026

✏️You don’t need a complete vision to start designing your garden.

Try noticing one thing you wish were different.

Perhaps you’d love to sit outside more often, but your patio feels exposed. That tells you something useful: a sense of privacy matters to you.

You’ve already found your starting point.

This idea recently became the focus of an interview with me in , a Finnish gardening magazine. It’s something I often explore in my teaching, too.

Dreaming helps you imagine what’s possible. Looking closely at your own garden and its problems help you decide where to begin your design plan.

Try finishing this sentence: “I would enjoy my garden more if…”

What comes to your mind?

10/07/2026

One of the shifts I would love more home gardeners to make is this:

To see a planting bed as more than a collection of plants.

It has a shape and a visual purpose, of course. But it also creates a tiny piece of landscape.

A shrub can offer shelter.
Groundcover changes the conditions at soil level.
Leaves left beneath planting create another environment entirely.
Flowers, berries and seeds provide food at different times of year.

And suddenly we are not simply decorating the garden.

We are designing habitat.

I explored this idea in the latest issue of The Garden Blueprint, including a simple way to look at your own garden through layers and microhabitats.

Save this for your next garden-planning session and if you’d like to read the full issue, you’ll find The Garden Blueprint through the link in my bio.

09/30/2026

The September issue of The Garden Blueprint is here! 🌿

This month, we’re looking at how you can create more microhabitats with even in a small garden space.

We’ll explore planting layers, wildlife-supporting elements and seasonal interest, and how thoughtful design can make your garden feel more connected to the surrounding landscape.

You’ll also find a small garden design practice to try in your own outdoor space.

The Garden Blueprint is my free monthly letter for home gardeners who want to learn how to design their own gardens, one thoughtful step at a time.

Read the September issue through the link in my bio.

With warm garden wishes,
Sari 💚

DIYGardenDesign

09/29/2026

I just love this Limelight hydrangea: the fresh green leaves and cool white blooms with dark-coloured stems. And the flowers last for ages!

09/21/2026

What is one part of your garden you’re not quite sure what to do with?

If there is a garden problem spinning in your mind and it keeps you stuck, you’ll might find my new Q&A series helpful. You’ll find the 🔗 in bio to send your photo and question.