A Dream Realized: Our Home and Garden Transformation
I am beyond thrilled with how everything has turned out. The flowers, the colors—everything just came together so perfectly! It feels like a dream finally realized.
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Our House Eight Years Ago: A Bold Decision
Eight years ago, my husband and I bought this house, despite everyone telling us we were crazy. But I could see past all of that and knew what it could become. After all this time, I’ve finalized the plan, and it’s been a journey of trusting my vision while bouncing ideas off others.
Last week, we worked on the exterior of the house, and now we’re moving onto the landscaping.
My friend Melanie is coming over to help start this part of the process. She’s been a fantastic collaborator and designer, and working with her has been one of the greatest opportunities.
Rethinking the Boxwood Cluster
We had a few moments where things didn’t look quite right, like the boxwood cluster. Sometimes I have this vision in my head, and then when I see it in the ground, it’s just not what I imagined.
Melanie gently suggests changes, and I agree—there’s always room to improve. We ended up swapping out a plant from the back, and it made all the difference.
Society Garlic: The Beautiful (and Smelly) Choice
We started our front landscape with society garlic, which has these delicate purple flowers that are gorgeous.
But the plant lives up to its name—the smell! It filled my car, and my husband couldn’t figure out what the source of that overpowering odor was. So, a word of advice: if you plant society garlic, make sure it’s not near the entrance of your home.
Tweaking the Plan as We Go
We’ve got this planter box up on the porch, and I thought foxtail ferns would work well, but I wasn’t quite happy with how they looked.
Melanie and I decided to swap them out for vincas, and the change was perfect.
You could tell Ronnie, Melanie’s foreman, was a little overwhelmed dealing with two designers at once, but he handled it like a pro.
Finding the "Big Daddy" Pot
Last week, Melanie and I were on the hunt for a large container—the "Big Daddy" pot. We finally found it, and it was just the right touch for the space. My kids helped so much throughout the entire project, from watering to planting, scraping to painting. They’ve saved us a fortune on labor, and also sharked a lot of contractors out of money!
Loving the New Landscape
I am so in love with the new landscape. I could honestly live outside now—it’s so nice! And the flowers we chose are beautiful.
One of my favorites is a new type of double petunia that almost looks like a carnation. Its deep purple blooms pop against the white paint of the house, creating a stunning contrast.
Now we’re adding the "jewelry" to the landscape—Melanie’s containers filled with vibrant flowers. The most important thing for me is picking plants that will last the whole season, giving us constant beauty. Her choices have really pulled the whole landscape together. The idea behind the flowers on the wall was to create a piece of wall art while cleverly hiding some of the plumbing for the fountain.
My Best Yard Sale Find: The Wall Fountain
I love yard sales, and often I come home with things Thomas wonders what in the world I’m going to do with.
That’s how I found the piece that became our wall fountain—it was only $10! I had no idea what I’d do with it at first, but now it’s one of my favorite features.
The Simple, Clean Lines with Personality
Melanie and I share a love for clean, simple lines, but also for letting personality shine through in small details. For example, adding large pops of bright green to cascade over the planters gives the space a natural, effortless look. Once it all starts growing together, it’ll feel like it’s been here forever.
As we worked together, Melanie and I bounced ideas off each other, and I’m sure I drove her a little crazy with my pickiness! But it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience seeing our ideas evolve into such a magnificent space. At the end of the day, we both agreed the results were worth it.
A Landscape to Be Proud Of
In the past, when people would ask where I lived, they’d always mention the beautiful landscape at the house next door. But now, I’m proud to say we have a landscape that’s equally beautiful. It finally feels like a designer lives here, and I’m so excited to share it with family and friends.
A Complete Transformation
Our house now feels like one complete, cohesive project. The colors, the plants, the design—it all flows together in a way that it never has before. It’s how I design for my clients, but I had never done it for my own home. And now, with all the beautiful flowers in matching colors, I can truly say I love how it turned out.
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