Behind-the-scenes: Our Garden Update & Saving $19,000

I was trying to think of alluring titles to pull you in, but this stage of the garden build isn’t the sexiest. We’re in the awkward preteen phase where everything is about half-done. However, the stone wall is 🙌🏼. Stone anything is breathtaking and I have this weird obsession with Scotland, so it’s giving me Highlands vibes which are a big win for me.

I wanted to invite you into this moment in the build, as it’s taken on so many iterations that I’ve lost count. We trudge onwards and get closer and closer to something I am supremely proud of, that my husband also likes, and that achieves our goals.

Moment of pure honesty: I even scaled things back just a touch.

I had this experience where my neighbor who is also a very passionate gardener wanted to show me her own garden plan and get my input on her design. I really have no business advising her, as she is very capable and her mother is a talented landscape designer in Southern California. It was kind that she asked for my insight, and before I even set eyes on her plans I had to give myself a little talking to.

My inner dialogue was something like this: “Bailey, everyone’s journey is different, everyone’s goals are different. It’s not the biggest garden that wins or the fanciest raised beds that matter. It’s about finding and creating what’s most you.”

I was nervous that I’d get jealous! Or that I would feel some weird comparison. Being that I’m a garden designer I feel some pressure to have my home and garden be a certain way. I checked myself and my own plans - I LOVE the garden we’re building and the size is what’s best for me and our family. I even scaled it back a bit as I know I just don’t have time to maintain 30 raised beds.

My neighbor’s garden plans are beautiful and I know it will be stunning - I absolutely can’t wait to see it and for her and to collaborate a ton on what’s working and what’s not, so it’s all a moot point. Though I will say, I think her’s is bigger! It’s all really just fun and the fact that we get to bring our land into use and beauty as we do is a true blessing.

Where We’re At In Our Build

Right now we have the stone wall done, the fencing is almost done, the greenhouse is in, and the final final layout is final (did I say final? We’ll see about that).

Next steps are digging the trenches for irrigation, making and placing our beds, and then filling them with soil. We then need to put pathway materials down, and that’s it!

I can’t even believe that it’s really happening!

Let’s dig in deeper to talk about the behind-the-scenes - that’s the good stuff after all.