Relished 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.

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.

We're in planning season, and this is when I pull out all my books and start developing ideas for the year ahead. I'm not a coffee table book kind of person. My books are dog-eared, written in, stuffed with pieces of paper. They're used and loved. Some came from my grandpa's collection, others I've picked up over the years, but if a book stays on my shelf, it's because I refer to it over and over, or because it's worth lending out. Today I'm walking through the books that have earned their permanent spot in my garden library, and the new ones I am currently reading through. These are the books that help me think more deeply about plants, connect ideas in the garden, and plan how I actually want to use my space. In this episode, I cover: Why I still choose books over endless internet searches, and what curated knowledge offers that Google can't How I've built a working reference library as a gardener and cook, and what makes a book worth keeping The different roles books play: broad inspiration, deep plant-specific knowledge, and seasonal living guides How plant-obsessed authors give you a window into their passion and help you see familiar plants in completely new ways Why seasonal cookbooks aren't just about food—they're about understanding what's happening in the garden and connecting to place How regional cooking traditions can mirror your own climate and offer unexpected insight into what grows well where you live Key moments: 00:00:00 - Why I Love Books The ritual of planning season, family influence, and why books are working tools that earn their place 00:05:01 - Essential Garden References The foundational books I return to: plant ID, regional guides, and maintenance basics 00:08:09 - Plant-Specific Deep Dives How books about roses and pansies help you see familiar plants in completely new ways 00:12:41 - Foraging: Learning About Plants I'll Never Grow Building a collection of foraging books from around the world and why I love them 00:16:22 - Cooking and Living a Seasonal Life Seasonal cookbooks that connect what's in the garden to what's on the table 00:18:47 - Closing Thoughts Pull out the books you already love and give them another look   Books Mentioned: Shop our full list at https://bookshop.org/lists/favorite-books-relish-gardens Every purchase supports independent bookstores. Plant Identification and Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary by James G. Harris Pacific Northwest Month-by-Month Gardening: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year by Christina Pfeiffer and Mary Robson Tilth Alliance’s Maritime Northwest Garden Guide from Seattle Tilth Cass Turnbull's Guide to Pruning: What, When, Where, and How to Prune for a More Beautiful Garden by Cass Turnbull Pansies: How to Grow, Reimagine, and Create Beauty with Pansies and Violas by Brenna Estrada Roses in the Garden by Ngoc Minh Ngo Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Arthur R. Kruckeberg and Linda Chalker-Scott The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater Saving the Season by Kevin West Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen Eat Weeds: A Field Guide to Foraging: How to Identify, Harvest, Eat and Use Wild Plants by Diego Bonetto 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 Relish Gardens Website FREE Guide - What to do in your winter garden Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with a fellow gardener who might be building their own library. And if you have garden books you love and return to, I'd love to hear about them—I'm always looking for new inspiration. Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

There's something really grounding about returning to the same rhythms year after year. Showing up for the season. Showing up for yourself and the people around you. We set out to talk about seasonal rhythms in the garden, but what we ended up exploring is how those rhythms actually inform life, how repetition becomes ritual, and how those rituals anchor us through time. In this episode, Nicole (my podcast producer and Relish Gardens marketing extraordinaire) joins me to share how she uses nature-based activities to help her kids connect to the season.  Winter is a good moment to reflect on which activities you keep in your life, which ones you prioritize, and why you value them. Because it's those small things, the ones you return to again and again, that create real connection. In this episode, I cover: How traditions and seasonal rhythms ground us through the passage of time and connect us across years The mindset shift from seeing storm debris as a chore to getting excited about materials for winter pots and bonfires Nicole's approach to "microdosing anticipation" for her kids through nature-based advent calendar activities How putting the garden to bed creates space for both reflection on the past year and anticipation for what's coming Resources Free Winter Gardening Guide Frog Pond Farm (Oregon) Connect with Us Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube If you loved this episode, subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And if you know a gardening friend who'd appreciate this conversation, 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.

Living in the Pacific Northwest has taught me to pay attention to the light, or really, the lack of it. Growing up in California, I had no idea how intensely the seasons could shift until I moved to Seattle, where dusk feels like it hits at 3:30 and some days the sun barely seems to come up at all. It took me years to adjust to the rhythm of it. As a gardener, so much of what we do is tied to the light. The winter solstice has become one of my favorite turning points of the year. It's the shortest day, yes, but it's also the moment when everything shifts. We stop moving away from summer and start building toward spring again. There is something celebratory about realizing that from here, the light starts coming back, even if it's just a few minutes at a time.  This week, I'm talking about how I mark the winter solstice as a gardener and why I love these seasonal rhythms and the changing of seasons. In this episode, I cover: Why the winter solstice is such a turning point for gardeners, marking the shift back toward spring Simple ways to celebrate solstice, from community walks to keeping your lights up a little longer than usual The connection between holiday lights, cultural traditions, and our need for brightness during the darkest time of year Why the change of seasons is my favorite, and how I like to slow down enough to really notice the changes Resources: St. Edward State Park, Kenmore, WA Connect with Us: Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe and share it with a gardening friend. Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

Have you ever had the feeling that you love your plants, but your garden doesn't quite reflect the story you were trying to tell? We collect plants we love, we're gifted things, we bring home treasures from the nursery, and over time, the garden can start to feel muddled. That's where editing comes in. It's the missing piece we don't talk about enough in garden design. Just like any creative work, a garden is only as strong as the edit you bring to it. In this episode, I'm talking about how to observe your space, identify what's working (and what's not), and refine your garden into something that feels intentional, clear, and truly yours. In this episode, I cover: Why gardens can start to feel muddled over time Why editing is the overlooked skill in garden design How editing creates stronger, more intentional spaces Strategies for clarifying your garden's story Connect with Us: Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube Free Fall Gardening Guide If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe. We've got new episodes every week. And if you know a gardening friend who'd appreciate this conversation, send it their way. Sharing the show helps grow our little garden-loving community.

Mature gardens become collections over time. Pots, plants, benches, impulse buys, inherited pieces, and at some point, that collection either feels magical or it just feels muddled. In this episode, I walk through how I use design parameters to guide every garden I design, why limitations actually make gardens better, and how they can reduce decision fatigue. In this episode, I cover: How strong design parameters help you move between gardens, make faster decisions, and avoid creative fatigue Why mature gardens can often feel muddled instead of magical, and how design parameters fix that The difference between a collector's mindset and a curator's mindset when building a garden What immersive experiences like Meow Wolf and Disneyland can teach us about garden design, storytelling, and creating intentional spaces Real examples from my award-winning Northwest Flower and Garden Show gardens, and how completely different parameters created two totally distinct spaces Why limitations, when developed ahead of time, contribute to stronger and more well-defined gardens Resources and Links: Meow Wolf Relish Gardens 2025 NWFGS Show Garden Relish Gardens 2024 NWFGS Garden Download our FREE Fall Gardening Guide Connect with Us: 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 a gardening friend who'd benefit from thinking about their garden through a curator's lens, send this 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.

Winter gardening doesn’t have to be miserable—or overwhelming. In this episode, Stevie and I share what gear we rely on to help maintain our clients’ gardens year-round. We will share how creating an essential gear kit doesn't have to take up your entire house, and what gear makes cold-weather gardening not just doable, but genuinely enjoyable.  We dig into the stuff we actually use, the habits that make winter gardening feel less like a chore, and how a little fresh air can go a long way in keeping your spring garden (and your mood) in better shape. In this episode, we cover: The benefits of just one day in the garden each week for both your garden and you. Why gardening in a light mist might be our actual favorite time of the year to garden. The mental and physical benefits of getting outside, even when it's cold and grey. The specific clothing and tools that make outdoor work bearable (and yes, comfortable) The one item Stevie keeps giving, and why it's a total game-changer Why you don’t need to own everything, and why we love the idea of borrowing and sharing tools with your community. Small-space-friendly tools that earn their keep in our kit Why more gear isn’t better, and can actually reduce your efficiency and lead to overwhelm. Our Favorite Cold-Weather Gardening Gear We Actually Use Helly Hansen Storm Weatherproof Rain Jacket Helly Hansen Storm Waterproof Rain Bib Pants Boot Dryer Japanese Hand Hoe Ryobi Electric Leaf Blower Brute 10-Gallon Bucket Stoggles Hori Hori 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 products we genuinely love, use, and trust in our day-to-day garden work. We encourage you to shop local and directly from the retailer. Connect with Us Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube   If you enjoyed this episode, send it to a garden-loving friend who loves learning about weird edible plants in the garden. Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

In this episode, I’m joined by horticulturist Maggie Rutherford, someone who shares my obsession with the weird, wonderful world of uncommon edible plants. We talk about blending ornamental and edible plants in the garden, the joy of preserving to capture each individual season, and how small-batch preserving can be a source of creativity and delight. Maggie shares why she can't stop talking about her Quince tree, and we dive into the weird and wonderful world of Medlars. In this episode, we discuss: How moving into a blank-slate yard sparked Maggie’s love of growing and eventually led her to return to school to study horticulture Our shared love of jamming weird little fruits, and preserving as a creative, artistic expression Why we love blending edible and ornamental plants in the garden instead of separating them. Resources and Links Plants Mentioned in This Episode: Quince (Cydonia oblonga) Medlar (Mespilus germanica) Sloes (Prunus spinosa) Luma (Luma apiculata) Szechuan Pepper (Zanthoxylum simulans) If you are looking for unique edible plants, we highly recommend Raintree Nursery Books Mentioned in This Episode: Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving by Kevin West Jam Bake: Inspired Recipes for Creating and Baking with Preserves by Camilla Wynne Connect with Us Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube Follow Maggie on Instagram Visit Maggie's Art Website If you enjoyed this episode, send it to a garden-loving friend who loves learning about weird edible plants in the garden. Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

This week, Stevie and I are talking about one of my all-time favorite low-effort, high-reward garden moves: dividing and transplanting perennials in the fall. Whether you're trying to fill out a new bed, edit what’s not working, or just want more of that one plant that always thrives—this episode is all about using what you already have to grow the garden you want. If you’ve ever wondered when to divide, how to do it, or why it’s worth the effort, you’re in the right place. In this episode, I cover: Why fall is an ideal time to divide most perennials Simple cues to know when a plant is ready to be divided How transplanting helps you edit and expand your garden with intention The satisfaction of “shopping your own garden” instead of buying new Connect with Us Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube Resources and Links Plants Mentioned: Hakonechloa macra: Japanese Forest Grass Cyclamen coum: Persian Violet Miscanthus sinensis: Dwarf Maiden Grass Araucaria Araucana: Monkey Puzzle Tree Resources mentioned: University of Minnesota: Diving 125 Most Common Perennials  Hardy Fern Foundation American Fern Society History of the Monkey Puzzle Tree in Seattle 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.

Fall is an ideal time to consider adding trees to your garden. It also happens to be one of the best planting windows, giving roots a head start before summer heat kicks in. I can’t tell you the perfect tree for every site, but I can offer the kinds of questions and considerations that lead to better decisions, both aesthetically and horticulturally. In this episode, I walk through the criteria I use to select and place trees in a design, and I encourage you to look beyond the usual suspects. We’ll explore how to assess your site, lean on design principles, and think through four-season performance so that your tree supports the bigger picture of your garden for years to come. If you’re feeling unsure about where to begin, this episode will give you a solid starting place. What You'll Learn Why fall is a great time to purchase and plant trees How to evaluate site conditions like sun, soil, and space before making a selection Common tree-picking mistakes and how to avoid them Why we keep seeing the same trees everywhere and how to choose something better Using line, repetition, and texture to support your garden's design How to borrow from the larger landscape to create a sense of place Questions to ask about what you want your tree to do and how the right tree can simplify your maintenance load Trees and plants mentioned: Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica) Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)  Helpful links: Raintree Nursery Great Plant Picks OSU Department of Horticulture Plant Finder Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs Connect with Us Relish Gardens Website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube If this episode helped you think differently about how to choose a tree, share it with someone who’s planning their next garden move. Until next time, I hope you find something in your garden to truly relish.

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading garden maintenance or wondering why it’s starting to feel like a burden, you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when we shift the way we think about maintenance and why it doesn’t have to feel like a never-ending to-do list. Instead of aiming for perfection or pretending you’ll suddenly have hours every weekend, I want to help you build a garden that works with your life as it is now. We’ll talk about setting a maintenance budget, how to limit high-maintenance plants, and why focusing your energy in just a few high-impact areas can free you up to enjoy the rest. With a few smart swaps and honest expectations, you really can reduce the overwhelm and still love what you see outside your window. In this episode, I cover: How to shift your mindset around garden maintenance so it feels less like a chore What a maintenance budget really means and how to plan your garden around the time you actually have Smart plant choices and placement strategies that help reduce ongoing upkeep How to prioritize high-impact or high-traffic areas for the most impactful use of your time The role of editing in garden design and why removing what’s not working creates more ease Why only 10 percent of your plants should be high-maintenance divas, and smart swaps to hold a space with less work 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.  

Have you ever stood in your garden and thought, “Something feels off" or "This just isn’t working anymore”? Whether it’s subtle discontent or full-on frustration, that nagging feeling is often a sign that something needs to shift. In this episode, we’re diving into how to observe your space more critically, using both aesthetic cues and horticultural data, to understand what’s not serving you and what to do about it. You’ll also hear from Stevie, one of our longtime Relish horticulturists, about how we assess gardens in the field, from overgrown chaos to subtle color clashes. Together, we’ll walk through how to look with intention, ask the right questions, and start making meaningful, doable changes. In this episode, we cover: How stepping back and observing can shift your perspective and make more analytical decisions in your garden. Practical ways to evaluate plant health, layout, and color palette so you can make confident choices in your garden How life transitions often trigger the need for a garden reassessment How we use data and observation in the gardens we care for. 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. 

Welcome back to The Relished Garden Podcast. Today I’m joined by Stevie, my right hand and a horticulturalist at Relish Gardens, as we talk about why fall isn’t the end of the gardening season, and is actually the start of next year's garden. We’re sharing insights from the gardens we care for, how we approach seasonal transitions, and what you can do now to shape your garden for next spring. Think of this as your nudge to not head inside just yet. Fall is the time to assess your space while it’s still fresh and make changes that will set you up for a garden you love next year. In this episode, we cover: Why fall is "go time" in the garden and how it sets the foundation for seasons ahead What maintenance tasks we focus on in the fall, from mulching and transplanting to editing and assessing your space How we like to refresh our containers in the fall The seasonal rituals we love most this time of year, from dried flower arrangements to turning garden harvests into soup, and how these simple acts can bring people together Resources Mentioned Get our Free Fall Gardening Guide 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. 

Welcome to the very first episode of The Relished Garden Podcast! I’m Claire, and I’m so glad you’re here. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the path that led me to start Relish Gardens, where we build and maintain beautiful gardens in the Seattle region. In this episode, I reflect on how early creative obsessions like building Barbie dream houses, rearranging my bedroom, and watching Martha Stewart shaped what it means to create a beautiful life. I walk through how beauty, food, and community shaped my philosophy of living a garden-centered life, and why gardening still feels like a form of play. In this episode, I cover: The way a childhood love of fashion, design, and creating beautiful spaces eventually led me to garden design What it was like growing up in Northern California with access to homegrown food, and how that sparked a lifelong love of edible gardening and seasonal eating Why gardening feels like play, and how it gives me the same sense of satisfaction I got from playing as a kid How reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver helped reshape my ideas about homesteading and led me toward a more community-sufficiency approach to growing food Why creating beautiful spaces has always felt essential to me, and how early influences like Martha Stewart helped me see the power of everyday aesthetics 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. 

Join us weekly for discussions about garden design, seasonal garden maintenance, food preservation, and how to create a garden that supports how you actually live.  Hosted by Claire Lidell Hanna, an award-winning designer and founder of Relish Gardens, this podcast is for real people growing real gardens, without the pressure or overwhelm. Let’s dig in.