Garden Design Step Two: Finding the Right Inspiration

Once you understand the conditions of your space, the next step in garden design is inspiration - not from a catalog, but from context.

Start by looking at what already surrounds you.

Is there a field nearby? Woods? A creek?
Is your garden framing a symmetrical colonial home?
Does it sit beside a barn or overlook open land?

Your setting quietly suggests the kind of garden that will feel most at home there.

Here is the view of the Meadow at Scout Hill Farm. It is this view that I try to keep in mind when designing close by. I have more informal beds, native plantings and keep the color scheme matching what grows wild here. By doing that the garden seamlessly melts into the wider landscape.

From this alone, you can start answering some big design questions:

• Symmetrical or asymmetrical

• Formal or informal

• Soft, muted colors or bold, high-contrast ones

• Monochromatic palettes or lots of color

These decisions don’t limit creativity — they give it direction.

Here is an example where they almost understood this but they missed something important. Notice they have a completely symmetrical house. However, the evergreen to the right and left of the doors do not match. Asymmetry really stands out in this case.

Gather Visual Inspiration

Next, start collecting ideas intentionally.

Browse garden books at a bookstore or library. Spend time with well-established gardeners and designers whose work shows restraint, maturity, and a sense of place. Blogs and shows like Margaret Roach, Monty Don, and Garden Answer are excellent sources for real-world inspiration that translates well to home gardens.

As you gather ideas, notice what consistently draws you in — structure, looseness, plant combinations, color stories. Patterns will emerge.

Here is an example of how this worked in real life for me:

I go to every garden I can in any city I visit. Here is one in London that I visited twice when there. I was struck by the waves of this hedge. 

The second thing I was struck by elsewhere were these blue junipers that repeated along this walkway

So when I came home, I found a blue juniper that would work in my area (Witchita Blue). I saw online this photo where it could be hedged:

And here is the beginning of my own waving blue juniper hedge!

Organize Your Inspiration

You don’t need anything fancy here.

You can:

• Clip images and make a paper collage

• Or, my favorite: create a Pinterest board

I do this for every garden design client I work with. It’s one of the fastest ways to align on taste, mood, and expectations before a single plant is chosen.

This step saves time, money, and frustration later.

Here is an example of an inspiration board when doing my sister's garden which in L.A. which is a lot more arid.

Look Close to Home

One of the most overlooked sources of inspiration is right outside your door.

Drive around your neighborhood. Visit nearby towns. Pay attention to gardens you love — even just one plant or combination can spark an idea worth borrowing.

Tip: You can usually tour local gardens with the Garden Conservancy Open Days

The added bonus? If it’s thriving locally, you already know it performs well in your climate.

Here is a local Hollis Garden with wonderful color and structure in the trees!

Turning Inspiration Into a Design

Inspiration is where a garden begins to take personality — but it still needs structure to become a real, buildable plan.

In the next post, we’ll talk about how to take your inspiration and turn it into a layout, plant layers, and priorities that actually work in your space.

If you want hands-on help with this process, we’ll be working through it step-by-step in my Garden Design Workshop on March 1 at Scout Hill Farm, using real examples and real gardens. I also offer one-on-one garden design consultations for homeowners who want personalized guidance and a clear plan to move forward.