This time of year reinvigorates the gardener in all of us. As those early wild daffodils start to emerge and pops of bright green appear on the trees, there’s almost a natural reaction in our bodies to get in on the blooming and blossoming.  

 

My husband, Steve, and I are no different. While we think about gardening all year long, springtime is when our efforts really begin to show off as many of our favorite plants and flowers that have been dormant all winter begin to gradually come back to life. We have learned ways to still enjoy our natural spaces in the winter months, but the rebirth of color and aroma each spring is something to celebrate.  

 

We have been designing homes together for nearly twenty years, and one of our favorite techniques has always been blurring the lines between inside and out with carefully planned spaces and plantings. A seamless flow from exterior to interior becomes increasingly important, especially as we gain a deeper connection to the earth and nature. Designing a garden for the seasons has become a true passion of ours.

 

We got into a great routine at Patina Farm, where we had specific plans for each season. But this year, we are starting over at Patina Meadow and getting to revisit the gardening plans we loved from our past. Since we are planning our four-season gardens for our Tennessee home, we wanted to share with you our passion for gardening and ways we plan to incorporate all four seasons here in the South, and you can, too. 

We planted bulbs across the creek that meander across the front of our property, and their beautiful blooms are popping up, showing us that spring is just around the corner. Planting bulbs along the street in front of your home is a wonderful way to create a warm welcome for visitors during this time of year.  

 

As you plan your spring garden, think of engaging all of the senses. Think of how you can incorporate water features and gravel for sound and fragrant plants that produce a calming scent. We love to use plants of different heights to add depth, and we always try to avoid using pesticides and herbicides that can damage the local ecosystems. 

 

As spring shifts into summer, Steve and I love to see bright colors begin to pop in the garden. In the height of summer back in California, our hillside of lavender buzzed with the gentle hum of the bees that helped pollinate so many of the surrounding fruit trees. Berries began to pop up everywhere, and we would fill our baskets every morning to keep up with the abundance.

Now that we are in Tennessee and preparing for our first summer here, we hope to capture that same summer essence we grew to love. Even if you only have a small space to work with, you can still plant herbs, vegetables and flowers in pots to create a potted garden. Many varieties of berries and, of course, lavender will work just as well in pots as it does in a field – just in smaller amounts. 

As fall begins, the colors begin to turn, and everything changes as the gardens prepare for winter. The leaves on the trees begin to change from their vibrant green to the burnt colors we all love in autumn. In Ojai, we chose to cover the exterior walls of our home in ivy because it so clearly showed the seasons on our walls just as one might wear their heart on their sleeve. The plants’ natural attunement is incredible as they instinctively prepare for the shift in temperature. 

 

When we planted our garden this fall, we incorporated evergreen hedges, which have added beautiful shades of green all year, even in the winter when it may be the only color we see from plant life. You can use hedging and trees to create outdoor rooms. We also love Boston ivy because it also offers some color year-round. 

The shift from fall to winter always signifies a shift for me personally of going from outward to inward reflection. It is a time of year when I spend more time indoors, focused on cozy activities and the light shining inside. Magically, the exterior world seems to sense this shift as well, with the way it seems to go quiet in reflection on the wild energy of the past several months. The leaves on the trees and ivy disappear, leaving the walls and large branches exposed. The gnarled bends in the branches of the oak trees still amaze me with their sculpture-like qualities.

 

Mother nature always seems to know what’s needed at the right moment. The gardens flourish and bloom like complicated choreography, trusting in the ancient wisdom of all that has gone before. Maybe we can learn to listen to the internal rhythms of the seasons if we slow down enough to feel them and breathe them in.

For guidance in bringing the outdoors in, visit Brooke and Steve Giannetti at Patina Home & Garden in Leiper’s Fork.