Relished Garden

23: Spring in the Garden: Tending, Observing, and Connecting with Community

Spring is here, and this year it arrived on its own timeline. After a winter that felt more like spring, winter finally arrived and brought snow before we officially said hello to the new season. We spent a lot of time waiting, watching, and letting the garden tell us what it needed before we jumped in. That kind of patience is its own form of care. In this episode, Stevie and I are talking about what it really means to tend a garden well, the work we are doing right now across our client properties, and why this season has a way of pulling the gardening community together in the best possible way.
In this episode, I cover:
Why this spring has felt different, and how watching and waiting is sometimes the most important work you can do in the garden
Why maintenance sometimes gets a bad reputation, and how shifting the way you think about it, from ongoing chore to actively attending to your space, changes the way you show up for your garden and the work you do in it
The hands-on work of spring: what to observe on your walk-through, how to handle voracious spreaders, and how containers can act as your own personal nursery
What to do when spring feels overwhelming, or your garden is not where you want it to be. How to get out of your head, get something on paper, and find a way to participate in your space right now
Why spring is the season gardeners find each other, and how plant sales, garden tours, and even a bouquet on a neighbor's doorstep can turn a solitary act into something shared
Resources:
Free Spring Gardening Guide
Lake Washington Tech Plant Sale - April 24 - 25, 2026
Episode 6: Plant Propagation and Divisions
Connect with Us:
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you loved this conversation, make sure to subscribe. We have got new episodes every week. And if you know a gardening friend who would love this, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

22: Start with People: Designing Joyful Gardens with Lisa Nunamaker

Lisa Nunamaker is a landscape architect, educator, and the founder of Paper Garden Workshop, where she teaches garden design and landscape graphics to aspiring designers and curious homeowners alike. What I love about Lisa is that she doesn't just teach you what to do in your garden. She teaches you how to think about it. In this conversation, we get into the idea of designing for people first, how constraints actually unlock creativity, and a concept from a book that genuinely stopped me in my tracks: celebratory beacons. We also talk about drawing, digital tools, dogs, and why slowing down before you start is almost always the right move.
 
The Collective Bootcamp registration is now open and begins on March 23. Learn more and register here.
 
In this episode, we discuss:
How Lisa found her way into landscape architecture, and why the path was anything but direct
Why constraints make you more creative, and how taking two completely unrelated ideas and smashing them together can unlock a garden design you'd never find otherwise
Getting comfortable with drawing before going digital, the tools that make the transition easier, and low-tech ways to start planning your space with things you already have
Celebratory beacons, what they are, why every garden needs at least one, and the book that changed how Lisa thinks about designing spaces for people
Why spatial design comes before planting design, and what happens when you flip that order
How slowing down and observing how you actually use your space, dogs, traffic patterns, and all, leads to better decisions than jumping straight to a plan
Resources and Links
Lisa Nunamaker / Paper Garden Workshop
Paper Garden Workshop
The Pencil Case — Lisa's free newsletter on garden design and landscape graphics you can view all past newsletters here.
The Collective Bootcamp — begins March 23
Garden Design Collective — monthly design membership, opens in late March
The Peanut Butter and Jelly Garden — free e-book
The Lunchbox Project — A sample of drawings from Lisa's year-long daily drawing project.
Books Mentioned
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee
Conversation Gardens: Where Conversations Flow and Relationships Grow by Lynn Kuhn
Residential Landscape Architecture: Design Process for the Private Residence by Norman K. Booth and James E. Hiss
Educators Mentioned
Amy Fedele / Pretty Purple Door — Procreate for landscape designers
Henry Gao / Draw With Gao — Morpholio Trace for designers
Kelly D. Norris — ecological horticulture and the New Naturalism Academy
Digital Drawing + Tools
Morpholio Trace
Procreate
Paperlike
Lines of Force
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and send it to a friend who loves thinking about their garden as much as you do. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

21: My Process for Designing Personalized Gardens that Fit Your Life

Over the next few weeks, we're walking through the process I use when designing spaces for my clients. It’s all about acknowledging people, developing priorities, and setting parameters, and how to use those three things to design a space that's actually designed around your life.
If you've ever looked at your garden and felt like something was off, or you couldn't quite put your finger on why, or you're not even sure where to begin, this series is for you.
In this episode, we cover:
Why the garden you're imagining and the garden you end up with are often so different, and what's actually standing in the way of having a garden that feels like you
Why starting with plants and inspiration before doing the foundational thinking is where most gardens get stuck, and what to do instead
Why we often forget to acknowledge our own needs in a garden, assume we'll figure it out later, and end up with clutter piling up because the space isn't actually serving how we live
Why gardens are only as beautiful as they are maintained, and why most people don't think about upkeep and ongoing care when they're creating new spaces
How defined parameters and a no list reduce decision fatigue, make plant shopping less overwhelming, and are what turn a collection of beautiful plants into a cohesive space with a real point of view
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your gardening friends. 
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.
 

20: The Preserver's Jewel Box: Inside Our 2026 Show Garden

Today I want to pull the curtain back on our 2026 Northwest Flower & Garden Show garden, the Preserver's Jewel Box. You might already know the general concept, but today we're going deeper. I want to talk about what this garden actually is, where the inspiration came from, and how the design evolved as we got closer to build week. We'll dig into the parameters, the pivots, the key features, and yes, the plants.
The concept came from the way I've always thought about the preserves I put up from my garden. In winter, when nothing's producing, those jars on the shelf, the jams, the pickled things, the preserved tomatoes, those are the jewels. The garden keeps giving back to you. That's the whole heart of this garden.
In this episode, I cover:
How the concept of a jewel box shaped the layout, the structure, and the story we're trying to tell
The inspiration behind our color palette, from picking up on the hues of preserved foods to the patina in the copper, and how that informed our bloom color.
The key design features: the river of jars, the custom arbor, and the table (including the $16,000 one that didn't make the cut)
How much you can actually grow in a small footprint, and what it looks like to treat edible plants with the same intention and beauty we bring to ornamental gardening
The hardscape materials running through this garden, the salvaged copper, the brick, and why I'm having a total moment with brick right now
Resources & Partners
Raintree Nursery, specialty fruit trees and edible plants by mail order, including the papaya, blueberries, and many of the incredible plants in this garden. Use code RAINTREEXRELISH26 at checkout for 10% off your order: raintreenursery.com
Rainy Day Bees, does hive housing in the greater Seattle region. We hosted four of their hives in this garden, which were custom-painted by Asha to match our garden. If you want honey, we recommend their creamed honey trio, it’s genuinely incredible.
Thanks to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show Sponsors:
Hardscape Materials: Mutual Materials
Mulch: Pacific Topsoils
Plant material: 
T & L Nursery
Northwest Nurseries
Easy Elegance Roses
Pots: 
Potteryland
Construction:
Arbor Construction: Modern Outdoor Oasis
Construction / Tear down support: Green Horizon Landscape & Construction
Volunteers:
A huge thank you to our volunteers from Lake Washington Tech Horticulture Program. 
Plants
For the full plant list from this garden, visit relish-gardens.com/plant
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram: @relish.gardens
Follow us on YouTube
If you loved this episode, subscribe and pass it along to a gardening friend. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

19: From Design to Install: Behind the Show Garden Build (NWFGS Part 4)

With only 72 hours to transform a design concept into a finished garden, the build for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show is intense. 
Stevie has been with me since the beginning, from volunteering in other’s gardens, to now our third year under Relish Gardens. In this episode, we talk about what actually happens behind the scenes during those three days. There’s something about the choreography of it all, the coordination, the problem-solving, the late nights, those make it work moments. 
Giveaway Alert! We're giving away two tickets to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show each week. Visit https://relish-gardens.com/nwfgs-2026-ticket-giveaway/ to enter.
In this episode, we discuss:
The reality of build week logistics and timeline - What actually happens during those 72 hours, from late nights to tight deadlines, and how the experience feels like we are in a reality TV show. 
Planning for pivots and adapting designs in real time - Why you come in with a solid plan but need to stay flexible when materials don't cooperate, structural issues pop up, or designs need on-the-fly adjustments to actually work
The choreography and coordination of construction - Managing the to-do list, orchestrating multiple tasks and people, and the careful dance of getting everything done in the right order under serious time constraints
Opening day and engaging with the public - The rewarding shift from exhausted builder to garden host, answering visitor questions, sharing the work, and experiencing how people interact with what you've created
The post-show moment and why we're excited for 2026 - That familiar "never again" feeling that hits after build week, and what's pulling us back this year despite knowing exactly how hard it will be
Resources
Northwest Flower & Garden Show FREE Ticket Giveaway
Purchase discount tickets for the show
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you loved this conversation, make sure to subscribe. We've got new episodes every week. And if you know a gardening friend who'd love this, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

18: Designing Show Gardens with Kate David from Hello Garden (NWFGS Part 3)

I'm so excited about today's conversation. I'm sitting down with Kate from Hello Gardens. Kate and I run in the same circles. We see each other at industry events and across the convention center floor. We wave, but we don't really get time to sit down and talk. 
We intended to talk just about the show, but this conversation wove in and out because that's what happens when you're in the same world and you never get enough time to connect. 
Giveaway Alert! We're giving away two tickets to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show each week. Visit https://relish-gardens.com/nwfgs-2026-ticket-giveaway/ to enter.
In this episode, we discuss:
Kate's journey from attending the show for almost 25 years to finally designing her first garden, and the surprising thing that finally made her reach out to Lloyd.
The stories behind her first three show gardens, plus a sneak peak at both of our plans for this year's gardens. 
Why the Northwest Flower & Garden Show feels like New Year's Day for the gardening community, and how it creates a ripple effect across the entire industry
The behind-the-scenes reality of designing show gardens, contending with weather, and what happens when your entire color palette has to change 2 weeks out from the show.
Resources
Hello Garden YouTube Channel
Françoise Weeks
Northwest Flower & Garden Show FREE Ticket Giveaway
Purchase discount tickets for the show
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you loved this conversation, make sure to subscribe. We've got new episodes every week. And if you know a gardening friend who'd love this, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

17: Producing 20 Gardens in 3 Days with Lloyd Glasscock (NWFGS Part 2)

Ever wondered what it takes to pull off one of the biggest garden events in the Pacific Northwest? This week, I sat down with Lloyd Glasscock, Garden Coordinator for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, to get the inside scoop on everything that happens behind the curtain.
Lloyd has built 36 gardens since 1990 and now coordinates the entire show. He's seen just about everything that can go right and wrong when you're transforming a convention center into a garden paradise in just days. 
Giveaway Alert! We're giving away two tickets to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show each week. Visit https://relish-gardens.com/nwfgs-2026-ticket-giveaway/ to enter.
 
In this episode, we discuss:
Lloyd's 30+ year journey at the show, from building his first garden in 1990 to coordinating the entire event.
What the weeks leading up to the event look like, from managing gardener questions, coordinating logistics between two back-to-back shows, and the calm before the storm
The surprisingly small team that helps pull together 20 gardens, 300 booth spaces, and 100 seminars for over 50,000 people—and what build days look like for Lloyd as he's often clocking between 20,000 - 50,000 steps a day.
Why the show is so great for getting new work, and how even people who say they are not looking for a landscaper can be swayed by the gardens they see.
Resources
Northwest Flower & Garden Show FREE Ticket Giveaway
Purchase discount tickets for the show
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your gardening friends. 
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.
 

16: From Attendee to Speaker: My Garden Show Journey (NWFGS Part 1)

Long before I was a designer at the Northwest Flower and Garden show, I started as an attendee, marking up my catalog and planning my day around seminars and show gardens. I then became a volunteer, shadowing Lloyd and helping out wherever was needed. Eventually I stepped into designing show gardens, and this year I'm doing something new again. I'm speaking at the event for the first time and competing in Container Wars.
Today, I want to talk about my journey through the show and the important role it's played in my life since moving to Washington. This episode kicks off a series we're doing as we countdown to the show. We're about four weeks out, and over the next month we'll be sharing conversations with other designers, the people working behind the scenes, and reflections from our team as we prepare our next garden. If you've ever been curious about what the Northwest Flower and Garden Show is all about, or what it takes to create one of these gardens, this series is for you.
 
In this episode, I cover:
How the garden show became my annual escape from winter and what drew me in as an attendee
The pivot during COVID that led me to reach out to Lloyd on LinkedIn and start volunteering
Reflecting on my journey as a show garden designer, the inspiration behind the themes, and winning People's Choice.
Why I love show gardens as opportunities to educate people about different gardening perspectives and cool plants they might not otherwise see
A glimpse into our 2026 design theme, and what I'm doing differently this year as a first-time speaker and Container Wars competitor
Resources
Northwest Flower & Garden Show FREE Ticket Giveaway
Purchase discount tickets for the show
Check out our 2024 Show Garden
Check out our 2025 Show Garden
Little Prince Nursery
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your gardening friends. 
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.
 

15: Winter in the Garden: What We Prioritize for a Healthier, Happier Spring Garden

It's early January. The days are short, it's cold, and there's often a desire to close the door on the garden until spring. But winter isn't a season to hide from. It's a season to work with on your terms, at your pace, and with intention. The time you spend now makes everything easier come spring. It makes your garden healthier and more beautiful. And even just getting out there for a little bit each day can be enjoyable and beneficial. In this episode, Stevie joins me to talk about what we're focusing on in our client gardens this winter. We talk about how strange this season has been because it's warm, things are blooming and popping up when they shouldn't be, and we're pausing on important dormant pruning work until plants actually go fully dormant. We discuss what we're prioritizing right now, our favorite winter projects, and what makes this season worth embracing.
In this episode, we cover:
What we love about winter in the garden, and why small intentional work now can lead to a less overwhelming spring
Why winter in the Seattle region is so different this year, and how it impacts the work we're doing in client gardens
Why we love dormant winter pruning, and why pruning techniques like espalier and pleaching feel like long-form sculpture
The joy of seed shopping and seed swaps, and the hope that planning for the future brings when it's cold and rainy in January
Why winter is the perfect time to add bare root trees to your garden and a low-stakes way to learn something new
Resources
Pruning with Confidence YouTube Playlist
Episode 5: How to Choose the Right Tree for Your Garden
Free Winter Gardening Guide
Free Winter Pruning Guide
Seattle Tilth Seed Swap
Raintree Nursery
Connect with Us
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

14: How I Unlock Garden Design Inspiration from Unexpected Places to Design Personalized Gardens

I've been thinking a lot about where inspiration actually comes from. Not just where I find it, but where anyone finds it. And here's what I keep coming back to: garden design inspiration doesn't have to come from other gardens or even from plants. Some of my favorite inspiration comes from totally unexpected places. A dress. A meal. A painting hanging in someone's living room. Because at the end of the day, gardens are personal, intimate spaces where life happens and memories are built. So today, I'm walking you through my actual process for finding design inspiration anywhere and translating it into gardens that feel unique to the people who live there.
In this episode, I cover:
How to filter through the flood of New Year’s inspiration without wiping the slate clean or throwing out what you already love
Why looking beyond plants and gardens for inspiration and paying attention to what lights you up might be the key to designing spaces that feel personal
How the things you've curated in your home are clues to what you love, and why I start every design project by walking through my clients' homes
How to train your eye to see design elements everywhere by breaking things down into color, texture, shape, and line to distill patterns
Silly but intentional thought exercises (like designing a garden based on a Crunchwrap Supreme) that help unlock creativity and find inspiration in very unexpected places
Resources:
The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik
Shop our full list of favorite books at https://bookshop.org/lists/favorite-books-relish-gardens. Every purchase supports independent bookstores.
Some of the links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. We only share things we genuinely love, use, and trust in our day-to-day garden work.
Connect with Us:
Free Winter Gardening Guide
Relish Gardens Website
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe. We've got new episodes every week. And if you know gardening friends who would love this, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.
Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.