The gardens of my dreams and where to buy them

If you follow along on Instastories you’ll know that I’m an enthusiastic, though still a novice, gardener. Like a shamelessly proud mother, I give a daily update on the growth of my garden. I have about 8 peony plants which are going WILD this year. You really must take a look. They’re bonkers. Now, I don’t have a huge or ideal garden, but I do have a bit to work with so I’ve maximized my space by going vertically and turning to container gardens. I now have hanging baskets and a number of vertical planters. I’ve slowly become comfortable with the notion that I just might be that crazy plant lady. So today I’m sharing some of my favorite garden inspirations and where you can buy the flowers to replicate it yourself.

We moved into our basement rental about 4 years ago now and our generous landlords were so kind to let me experiment with their garden, I’m sure to their chagrin (they really are the best). Other than a love of flowers and gardens, I didn’t have any experience planting and maintaining anything, so I do use the word “experiment” for a reason. I haven’t consulted anyone, I just chose flowers that I like or wanted to see in real life. I grew up in Southern California where traditional spring blooms like lilacs, bulbs, peonies and the likes didn’t exist. I’ve since spent a good deal of time living in other cities where these flowers made my head explode, but it’s only now that I’ve been up close and personal and gotten to know them better. I dare say that life with spring-time flowers is life-changing.

How would I describe my garden style?

I think I gravitate towards the English garden style, which is loose and lovely. In my dreams my garden is luscious and a bit wild. Not unkept, but definitely not perfectly manicured. I need it to feel slightly romantic.

Lupines–if you’re familiar with the children’s book, Mrs. Rumphius, then you’re very much familiar with lupines. 500 pack blue seeds here or a colorful pack here.
Allium
Larkspur
Cistus
Bugloss
Pimpernel
Buckleberry (Bulbophyllum Elizabeth Ann). If I were to include some indoor plant options, this Buckleberry (Bulbophyllum Elizabeth Ann), a type of orchid, is quite extraordinary. You can buy them here. Photo from here.
Morning glory. This is one of my number one sources of inspiration. The morning glory vine (some consider it a weed because it takes over the garden!), adds a charming quality to this rainbow garden. Photo from here. I’m most familiar with the white blooms, but these blue Morning Glory are so pretty!
Dahlia. Who wouldn’t love a rainbow garden? This one consists of all dahlias, a late summer bloom. Though I’m curious what it looks like the rest of the year. Beautiful Dinner Plate Dahlias here!
Climbing rose. Emily Henderson revealed her new patio and the internet went wild! That tile! And somehow though they just finished it, it already looks lived in. Pretty pink roses here.
Petunia. These are such great flowers because they can grow almost anywhere! I love the fluffy petal varieties.
A reader informed me this is a Smoke Tree! This can grow quite large and has dark red-purple leaves that turn scarlet in the fall! You can purchase a potted version here, but you’ll want to replant it with plenty of space to grow.
Knautia Macedonica Melton pastels. (Thanks to a friendly reader!) Photo from here. Beautiful berry colored blossom seeds found here!
hydrangea. This enclosed garden is so dreamy, you’d never know it was in the middle of Brooklym! The gorgeous shades of blue and purple hydrangeas really create a romantic feel. Photo from here. Blue potted hydrangeas here. Photo from here.
Peony. Last spring I visited Adelman Peony gardens in Salem, Oregon and it was life changing. I’ve never seen such varieties of peonies. And the colors! The ones featured here are Sarah Bernhardt’s and you can get them here or all the varieties here. Photo from here.
Foxglove. These are some of my favorites! I just planted three in my garden this year. They add such a romantic element. Apricot colored foxglove seeds, 10,000+ purple foxgloves, 5000 white foxgloves, 100 pink foxgloves, or a mixed pack here. Photo from here.
Poppy. These beauties are so whimsical with their windy stems and airy blooms. I love the bright red varieties, but the colorful Icelandic poppies are gorgeous!
Larkspur. A multicolored seed pack available here.
This is another house plant that I’d love to keep. It’s called a Medinilla Magnifica, or rose grape, and yes, I agree, it’s magnificent. It’s also part of the orchid family. 10 seeds for $8.99 here. Photos from here, here, and here