Have you ever had the feeling that you love your plants, but your garden doesn't quite reflect the story you were trying to tell? We collect plants we love, we're gifted things, we bring home treasures from the nursery, and over time, the garden can start to feel muddled. That's where editing comes in. It's the missing piece we don't talk about enough in garden design. Just like any creative work, a garden is only as strong as the edit you bring to it. In this episode, I'm talking about how to observe your space, identify what's working (and what's not), and refine your garden into something that feels intentional, clear, and truly yours.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why gardens can start to feel muddled over time
• Why editing is the overlooked skill in garden design
• How editing creates stronger, more intentional spaces
• Strategies for clarifying your garden's story

Connect with Us:

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube
• Free Fall Gardening Guide

If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe. We've got new episodes every week. And if you know a gardening friend who'd appreciate this conversation, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.

Mature gardens become collections over time. Pots, plants, benches, impulse buys, inherited pieces, and at some point, that collection either feels magical or it just feels muddled. In this episode, I walk through how I use design parameters to guide every garden I design, why limitations actually make gardens better, and how they can reduce decision fatigue.

In this episode, I cover:

• How strong design parameters help you move between gardens, make faster decisions, and avoid creative fatigue
• Why mature gardens can often feel muddled instead of magical, and how design parameters fix that
• The difference between a collector's mindset and a curator's mindset when building a garden
• What immersive experiences like Meow Wolf and Disneyland can teach us about garden design, storytelling, and creating intentional spaces
• Real examples from my award-winning Northwest Flower and Garden Show gardens, and how completely different parameters created two totally distinct spaces
• Why limitations, when developed ahead of time, contribute to stronger and more well-defined gardens

Resources and Links:

• Meow Wolf
• Relish Gardens 2025 NWFGS Show Garden
• Relish Gardens 2024 NWFGS Garden
• Download our FREE Fall Gardening Guide

Connect with Us:

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube

If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe—we've got new episodes every week. And if you know a gardening friend who'd benefit from thinking about their garden through a curator's lens, send this their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.

Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

Winter gardening doesn’t have to be miserable—or overwhelming. In this episode, Stevie and I share what gear we rely on to help maintain our clients’ gardens year-round.

We will share how creating an essential gear kit doesn't have to take up your entire house, and what gear makes cold-weather gardening not just doable, but genuinely enjoyable.

We dig into the stuff we actually use, the habits that make winter gardening feel less like a chore, and how a little fresh air can go a long way in keeping your spring garden (and your mood) in better shape.

• The benefits of just one day in the garden each week for both your garden and you.
• Why gardening in a light mist might be our actual favorite time of the year to garden.
• The mental and physical benefits of getting outside, even when it's cold and grey.
• The specific clothing and tools that make outdoor work bearable (and yes, comfortable)
• The one item Stevie keeps giving, and why it's a total game-changer
• Why you don’t need to own everything, and why we love the idea of borrowing and sharing tools with your community.
• Small-space-friendly tools that earn their keep in our kit
• Why more gear isn’t better, and can actually reduce your efficiency and lead to overwhelm.

• Helly Hansen Storm Weatherproof Rain Jacket
• Helly Hansen Storm Waterproof Rain Bib Pants
• Boot Dryer
• Japanese Hand Hoe
• Ryobi Electric Leaf Blower
• Brute 10-Gallon Bucket
• Stoggles
• Hori Hori

Some of the links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. We only share products we genuinely love, use, and trust in our day-to-day garden work. We encourage you to shop local and directly from the retailer.

• • Relish Gardens Website
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on YouTube

If you enjoyed this episode, send it to a garden-loving friend who loves learning about weird edible plants in the garden.

In this episode, I’m joined by horticulturist Maggie Rutherford, someone who shares my obsession with the weird, wonderful world of uncommon edible plants. We talk about blending ornamental and edible plants in the garden, the joy of preserving to capture each individual season, and how small-batch preserving can be a source of creativity and delight.

Maggie shares why she can't stop talking about her Quince tree, and we dive into the weird and wonderful world of Medlars.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How moving into a blank-slate yard sparked Maggie’s love of growing and eventually led her to return to school to study horticulture
• Our shared love of jamming weird little fruits, and preserving as a creative, artistic expression
• Why we love blending edible and ornamental plants in the garden instead of separating them.

Plants Mentioned in This Episode:

• Quince (Cydonia oblonga)
• Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
• Sloes (Prunus spinosa)
• Luma (Luma apiculata)
• Szechuan Pepper (Zanthoxylum simulans)

If you are looking for unique edible plants, we highly recommend Raintree Nursery

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

• Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving by Kevin West Jam Bake: Inspired Recipes for Creating and Baking with Preserves by Camilla Wynne

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube
• Follow Maggie on Instagram
• Visit Maggie's Art Website

If you enjoyed this episode, send it to a garden-loving friend who loves learning about weird edible plants in the garden.

Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

This week, Stevie and I are talking about one of my all-time favorite low-effort, high-reward garden moves: dividing and transplanting perennials in the fall. Whether you're trying to fill out a new bed, edit what’s not working, or just want more of that one plant that always thrives—this episode is all about using what you already have to grow the garden you want.

If you’ve ever wondered when to divide, how to do it, or why it’s worth the effort, you’re in the right place.

• Why fall is an ideal time to divide most perennials
• Simple cues to know when a plant is ready to be divided
• How transplanting helps you edit and expand your garden with intention
• The satisfaction of “shopping your own garden” instead of buying new

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube

Plants Mentioned:

• Hakonechloa macra: Japanese Forest Grass
• Cyclamen coum: Persian Violet
• Miscanthus sinensis: Dwarf Maiden Grass
• Araucaria Araucana: Monkey Puzzle Tree

Resources mentioned:

• University of Minnesota: Diving 125 Most Common Perennials
• Hardy Fern Foundation
• American Fern Society
• History of the Monkey Puzzle Tree in Seattle

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube

Fall is an ideal time to consider adding trees to your garden. It also happens to be one of the best planting windows, giving roots a head start before summer heat kicks in.

I can’t tell you the perfect tree for every site, but I can offer the kinds of questions and considerations that lead to better decisions, both aesthetically and horticulturally.

In this episode, I walk through the criteria I use to select and place trees in a design, and I encourage you to look beyond the usual suspects.

We’ll explore how to assess your site, lean on design principles, and think through four-season performance so that your tree supports the bigger picture of your garden for years to come.

If you’re feeling unsure about where to begin, this episode will give you a solid starting place.

What You'll Learn

• Why fall is a great time to purchase and plant trees
• How to evaluate site conditions like sun, soil, and space before making a selection
• Common tree-picking mistakes and how to avoid them
• Why we keep seeing the same trees everywhere and how to choose something better
• Using line, repetition, and texture to support your garden's design
• How to borrow from the larger landscape to create a sense of place
• Questions to ask about what you want your tree to do and how the right tree can simplify your maintenance load

• Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
• Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica)
• Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)
• Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)

• Raintree Nursery
• Great Plant Picks
• OSU Department of Horticulture Plant Finder
• Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading garden maintenance or wondering why it’s starting to feel like a burden, you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when we shift the way we think about maintenance and why it doesn’t have to feel like a never-ending to-do list.

Instead of aiming for perfection or pretending you’ll suddenly have hours every weekend, I want to help you build a garden that works with your life as it is now. We’ll talk about setting a maintenance budget, how to limit high-maintenance plants, and why focusing your energy in just a few high-impact areas can free you up to enjoy the rest. With a few smart swaps and honest expectations, you really can reduce the overwhelm and still love what you see outside your window.

• How to shift your mindset around garden maintenance so it feels less like a chore
• What a maintenance budget really means and how to plan your garden around the time you actually have
• Smart plant choices and placement strategies that help reduce ongoing upkeep
• How to prioritize high-impact or high-traffic areas for the most impactful use of your time
• The role of editing in garden design and why removing what’s not working creates more ease
• Why only 10 percent of your plants should be high-maintenance divas, and smart swaps to hold a space with less work

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on YouTube

If you loved this conversation, make sure to subscribe. We’ve got new episodes every week.

And if you know a gardening friend who’d love this, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.

Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

Have you ever stood in your garden and thought, “Something feels off" or "This just isn’t working anymore”? Whether it’s subtle discontent or full-on frustration, that nagging feeling is often a sign that something needs to shift. In this episode, we’re diving into how to observe your space more critically, using both aesthetic cues and horticultural data, to understand what’s not serving you and what to do about it.

You’ll also hear from Stevie, one of our longtime Relish horticulturists, about how we assess gardens in the field, from overgrown chaos to subtle color clashes. Together, we’ll walk through how to look with intention, ask the right questions, and start making meaningful, doable changes.

• How stepping back and observing can shift your perspective and make more analytical decisions in your garden.
• Practical ways to evaluate plant health, layout, and color palette so you can make confident choices in your garden
• How life transitions often trigger the need for a garden reassessment
• How we use data and observation in the gardens we care for.

• Relish Gardens Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Youtube

If you loved this conversation, make sure to subscribe—we’ve got new episodes every week.

And if you know a gardening friend who’d love this, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.

Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.