From Renting to Roots: My Personal Story of Home Gardening

My Unexpected Gardening Journey

In my last post, I shared how much I've moved around. As a renter, I didn't have much chance to cultivate a lush garden. But once I became a homeowner, I was absolutely thrilled by the idea of creating an outdoor space that felt like pure tranquility and relaxation. The only problem? My gardening experience was minimal, and trying to decide where to begin felt completely overwhelming.

When I first moved into my own home in May 2021, the yard was already showing signs of life. Many plants were just beginning to unfurl their colors. My parents, who are passionate gardeners, came to visit and helpfully pointed out some real "gems": an antique rose bush (practically swallowing my mailbox), mature Andromeda and Azalea bushes (overgrown and begging for a trim), a couple of "burning bushes" (crowding my porch and sidewalk), a very misshapen holly bush, and a beautiful, healthy Japanese maple.

I quickly got to work, determined to return these ornamental plants to their former glory. I knew absolutely nothing about pruning these overgrown shrubs, but I grabbed my garden shears anyway and went for it! (Spoiler alert: everything turned out fine!) I gave the rose bush a drastic trim to uncover my mailbox, ensuring the mail carrier could actually deliver my mail. I cut the burning bush in front of my porch in half, letting much-needed light into the windows, and trimmed the one by my walkway to create space for visitors. I snipped dead branches from the Azalea and Andromeda. My only real downfall was that holly bush: unbeknownst to me, it was completely intertwined with poison ivy. Boy, did I suffer the consequences after that trim! (Eventually, I cut it down entirely and removed the stump to expand my driveway before selling the house.)

Beyond the shrubs, several mature trees cast a lot of shade over the yard (and my roof). My home inspector wisely advised dealing with the excess shade and branches touching the roof to extend its lifespan. So, I hired an arborist. After removing a large cedar tree from the front and trimming back the roofline foliage, my front yard suddenly became much sunnier. Fortunately, this wasn't too problematic as there weren't any perennial flower beds to be affected. However, it did lead to an explosion of crabgrass in my front yard! I constantly battled it until I finally gave in and expanded my driveway the summer before selling.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that I didn't stay at that house long enough to truly plant anything new. The garden I inherited did regain its health, but yard maintenance became my primary activity there. And after that unfortunate run-in with poison ivy, I was much more timid about uncovering more of the yard. Still, I believe I left a much cleaner slate for the next owner to hopefully plant the garden of their dreams.

Growing Our "Garden of Love"

At my husband's house, he'd had more time to plan out his landscaping. He also started with less of a "jungle" to tame. This meant he could focus on planning what he wanted to plant instead of just reclaiming overgrown areas. Over time, he reshaped garden beds, added vibrant red mulch, and planted new shrubs and trees. After we got together, we approached gardening as a team, building what we called our "garden of love."

Deciding on plants together became one of our favorite activities: Juniper and Andromeda bushes, a beautiful Magnolia tree, climbing roses along the brick wall, Russian Sage with its delicate purple flowers and light herbal scent, Hydrangeas (both the typical blue ones and "Limelight" varieties that bloomed later and turned maroon in the fall), Tulip bulbs, Lily bulbs, Daffodils and Narcissus, and Fritillaria with their unique lantern-like shape. Each year, we added something new and beautiful, and each year, we learned how to best maintain the garden we built. It was bittersweet to leave that behind when we sold the property. Now, the new owners get to enjoy the fruits of our love.

Our New Forever Garden

One of the main reasons we fell in love with our new house was the beautifully maintained gardens we saw. We didn't know every single plant, but we could tell the previous owner had also treated their yard as a labor of love. We anxiously waited through winter to see what would emerge in spring. Week by week, buds began poking up. Trees unfurled their leaves, and shoots grew from seemingly nowhere.

It's clear that all these plants have been here for a long time. They know where to go and what they need, and now, so do we. We recognized many of them: Astilbes, Coral Bells, Hostas, Lilies, Daffodils, Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Roses, and Ferns. Others we've learned as they've filled in: Irises, Rock Crane's Bill Geraniums, Chameleon Plant, Spirea, Black-Eyed Susans, Rose of Sharon, Clematis, Phlox, Lilac, and Dogwood. It's truly everything we wanted and more.

Since this is our first year with such an established garden, we're taking a "wait and see" approach to making modifications. We're taking notes on what looks healthy, what will need to be trimmed back in the fall, and what might need to be removed entirely. We're monitoring if there are any gaps to be filled and what plants we might want to put there. We're honoring the past love that has grown here, and adding our own to it.

Do you have a gardening story or a question about nurturing your outdoor space? Share it in the comments below!