What I wish everyone knew about gardening (from a landscape designer)

[@gardenprojectacademy]

When did you first fall in love with gardening?🪴 What projects are you planning to start?🪴 What has inspired you to get started?🪴

[@kyivstuff]

I remember when I was in school planting a little garden from seeds of the trees that grew around the sports field.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

​@@kyivstuff This is so sweet!! 🥹 Did the trees happen to sprout? Or was it simply for the love of planting?

[@Leekle2ManE]

When we first moved to Florida, I was a disabled, stay-at-home dad. I had long been into computers, but taking care of two kids on a single income meant there wasn't enough in the budget to keep up with tech leaps every other year. So I bought a book called Gardening for Central Florida, picked a couple of African Iris seed pods from the parking lot of our local UF/IFAS demonstration garden and started growing plants. I found that this natural process actually suited my technical mind, especially when I started trying to grow seeds or cuttings that were more difficult to do. The design side appealed to an artistic side that I had in my teens, though I struggle with getting the right color/form combinations right. My current project is trying to slowly do a large scale job in our yard. We got a large load from Chip Drop and with help from the kids, we laid out all the beds with wood chips. It helps me (and neighbors) to see the over-arching design of the beds on the ground. Since then, I have been slowly adding trees and shrubs to the beds, somewhat densely. Not quite Miyawaki close, but close enough that mature branches will overlap. The end goal will be what I am calling Florida Shanty. Inspired by the origins of English Cottage, I am picking plants that grow easily here to help with fruit production. The mix I am shooting for is 50% native, 40% fruit/food, 10% pure eye-candy.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

This sounds INCREDIBLE! Sending best wishes from the PNW 🥰. I have always wanted to visit Florida and learn more about the tropical plantings. What are you most excited to grow? Any favorite native plants so far?

[@Leekle2ManE]

Hmm... favorite native plant would probably be a tie between Walter's Viburnum (natural, non-cultivar) and Simpson Stopper. Fairly similar to each other in most respects, but I feel the Walter's Viburnum gives a better show of flowers while the Simpson Stopper has a better show of berries. The Stopper also suckers to form a thicket, which some might find annoying, but I use this to spread the plant around the yard. Two of the Stoppers in our garden came from suckers on our previous property. I can't really do proper tropicals in our garden as it gets a bit too cold for them and I don't want to have to wrap plants every year.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

​ @Leekle2ManE Both are new to me. Just looked them up... They're gorgeous! 😍 I love the firework shape of the Simpson Stopper blooms. Sometimes I love a plant that grows a little too well, as it often means it's tough! Thank you for sharing, sounds like you have a fantastic project in the works

[@SEzzz53]

My grandmother was a passionate gardener and flower arranger. She also hybridized bearded iris. I helped her when I was little. They’re some of my earliest memories. ❤

[@gardenprojectacademy]

🥹🥹🥹 How lucky you are! She sounds like an amazing woman. What magic to grow up around!

[@chrissythacker1237]

When i was little, we had The Garden. Papaw ran it, but the kids all helped him. He passed away when i was young, and the kids all recalled The Garden and its produce so fondly that i dreamed of having a garden of my own for years. Now, its a reality and 'the kids' are advanced in age, but they help by telling me how Daddy did it in The Garden lol

[@gardenprojectacademy]

This is SO wonderful! I want to hear more about the legend of The Garden now too! Sounds like it could almost be a children's book 🥹 Congratulations on recreating it for yourself!

[@gmaj5686]

My mom grew fruits and vegetables when I was growing up, so I started with those. Then, years ago, a friend showed me how to plant a tree and shrub and how to start vegetable seeds indoors. I was hooked! I planted more trees and shrubs and seeds. Since then, I start vegetables, perennials, and annuals indoors in early Spring to share with my mom, sister, and daughter. Last year, I bought my sister a small seed starting set-up and she is excited to continue this year. For me, gardening is all about learning, teaching, and sharing.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

🥰 It is so rewarding! I love to hear the passion being spread from one person to another, so sweet 🥹

[@hellie_el]

❤❤❤❤❤ brilliant!

[@pattijacobs100]

I grew up next to a grandma who had extensive gardens. I didn't know until I was an adult that I needed flowers for a place to feel like home. My other grandparents grew price winning roses and sold gladiolas. I loved spending time with them in their gardens. I have many, many sweet memories.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

Gardening is in your genetics, for sure 🥹 such wonderful memories!!

[@nostromois]

Absolutely true ❤🌱

[@Orinoor]

I'm from a family of gardeners, so early childhood always involved plants. My 1st garden on my own was in pots behind my apartment, now I have 5 acres. Just starting on big scale landscaping so wish me luck!

[@gardenprojectacademy]

5 acres!! Congratulations!! That's very exciting 😍😍😍 What are you planning with the new space?

[@Orinoor]

@gardenprojectacademy I'm going native, drought resistant shrubs, perennials and annuals. It's a 1st for me, loving it!

[@eightstars]

When I had my daughter in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 I simply wanted a better world for her. I lived in Portland at the time, and we would go on walks with the stroller because there wasn’t much else to do and I fell in love with the wisterias at my neighbors house. When we moved to New Jersey we bought a house with a quarter acre and i thought “this is it. I get to have beautiful flowers now”. We’re still super amateur over here but not giving up!! Growing flowers and veg :)

[@calsimeth1588]

I was planting Arborvitae along the fence line of my new house and I realized that *time was on my side* and that's when I was hooked. All I had to do was water these trees and my landscape would get more beautiful. Your enthusiasm for gardening is infectious. Just listening to you makes me want to grab my gloves... and it is 20 degrees F outside right now lol

[@gardenprojectacademy]

Yes! Time is on your side! And thanks, I'm right there with you, ready for all the plants to start waking up 😍

[@PerennialProfiles]

COVID is when I really poured energy into gardening, and in return, it returned the energy to me.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

Yes! It really does give back, and then I just want to plant more plants 😂and the cycle continues ❤

[@emeraldgrovepermaculture]

Hello Eve from Kootenays BC. Happy designing gardens!

[@TheShoe1990]

We just closed on our first house and my wife and I want to turn our large front yard into a wildflower/ wildlife habitat. She's good with house plants, but I'm not so good with plants myself. Your videos have been helpful in my planning process so far. We stay in Middle Georgia, so I'm trying to gather as much information as I can

[@gardenprojectacademy]

Congratulations on your new home!! 🎉🎉

[@reynolds_live6949]

My niece got me into gardening... oh wait.

[@gardenprojectacademy]

Your niece sounds awesome 😂