Dream garden design tips, planting zones, raised beds, seed starting & garden layout ideas! 🌼 In this video I’m walking you through exactly how to create your dream garden step-by-step — from garden planning and color palettes to raised beds, pathways, seed starting, and the tools I use in my own garden.
🌸 Get my FREE Garden Guide Here! 👉 https://ashleychildershome.myflodesk.com/2026-garden-guide
If this is the year you finally want a garden that feels beautiful and actually works for your space… I made this video for you!
Every spring I see people get excited about gardening (myself included!) and immediately start buying plants — and I’ve definitely been guilty of that too. But over the years I’ve realized the difference between a chaotic garden and a dreamy one usually comes down to what happens before anything gets planted.
So in this video I’m sharing the exact process I use to plan my own garden each season — from understanding your planting zone and growing conditions, to defining your garden style, choosing color palettes, mapping out walkways and raised beds, and starting seedlings at the right time.
We’ll also talk about structural plantings, irrigation needs, landscape lighting, garden journals, and the little design details that make a garden feel layered and beautiful all year long.
And if you’d like to follow along with the exact tools, seed sources, and garden supplies I use, don’t forget to download my 2026 Garden Guide!
🌿 Download the 2026 Garden Guide: https://ashleychildershome.myflodesk.com/2026-garden-guide
(all my favorite seeds, plants, tubers, raised bed supplies, tools & garden resources)
Let me know in the comments —
What’s one thing you want from your garden this year?
Cut flowers? Veggies? A place to sit outside with your morning coffee? I’d love to hear what you’re planning! 🥰
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Video Chapters:
00:00 Your Dream Garden
00:50 Type of Gardens and Planting Zones
03:31 Irrigation Needs
04:15 Flowers, Veggies & Fruit
04:54 The 2026 Garden Guide
05:17 Growing Conditions and Plants
06:24 Garden Style
07:54 Color Palettes
08:50 Considering Your Exterior Colors
09:32 My EXACT Exterior Paint Colors
09:54 Layers in the Garden
10:48 Structural Plantings
11:39 Mapping Out Your Garden
12:11 Your Garden Journal
12:45 Walkways and Pathways
13:59 Edging Material
14:18 Raised Garden Beds
14:49 Sightlines
16:00 Landscape Lighting
17:34 Garden Prep Season
19:05 Plant Support Structures
20:05 Starting Your Seedlings
21:53 My Favorite Seed Resources
22:13 Planting Your Seed Trays
24:53 Create Your Dream Garden!
26:19 See My Garden in FULL Bloom!
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#dreamgarden #gardendesign #gardeningtips
If you’re wondering how to plan a garden, design a flower garden layout, start seeds indoors, or create a raised bed garden, this video walks through the entire garden planning process step by step. Whether you’re starting a vegetable garden, a cut flower garden, or a cottage style backyard garden, these garden design tips will help you create a dream garden this year.
21 Comments
So — what’s the ONE thing you want from your garden this year? ☺
More flowers? Fresh veggies? A peaceful place to sit outside with your morning coffee?
Tell me in the comments — I’d love hearing what you’re planning!
And if you want to follow along with the exact tools, seeds, plants, and supplies I use in my own garden, you can download my 2026 Garden Guide here:
🌿https://ashleychildershome.myflodesk.com/2026-garden-guide
I can’t wait to grow our gardens together this year! 🌸🌼
Thank you for sharing
Also look for warmer pockets near your home's foundation. I'm in zone 5B. Near my foundation I have planted 'Black & Blue' salvia half hardy annual and also giant white Calla lilies. Neither are in my zone, but they're planted on the southern side. They have grown and multiplied over the few years.
Hi there! It was fun chatting about gardening with you at the nail salon!
Your garden is gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see everything in bloom for 2026!
I’m going to be growing some flowers, herbs, and veggies this year. I’ll be trying out okra and cucumbers for the first time 👩🌾
I just found your channel and WOW! It’s so inspirational! I’ve had some decent luck with my garden but your channel definitely helps my confidence this year! Also, thank you SO MUCH for the free guide! It’s clear that the hard work was put into it and you didn’t have to provide it for free but you did. Thank you❤!!
"Wild and whimsical" is my version of controlled chaos.. haha I too, love an English country garden feel. I do love anchors of evergreens and boxwoods as my base. And spilling pots of varigiated ivy. This is perfect to add white and red cyclamen at Christmas, or colorful petunias in the spring and summer. It keeps from having to replace complete containers. I am in awe of how much you do in your garden. I just take a packet of seeds… turn over some dirt , and sprinkle them in. A little water and a few weeks later…. magic!
I want mostly,flower and plants. Only tomato’s. I like purple,white and burgundy plant flowers and foliage. Im in 8b
Thank you.love your channel!
Great video! Very informative and inspirational.
I’m 80% flowers and 20% vegetables.
I LOVE FLOWER GARDENING.
I have some beds that need a total makeover and others that need thinning. It’s overwhelming at times but I still dream of adding more around the yard.
I need to add lighting and drip lines, so am going to have to learn more about those.
Q: Do you have any solar landscape lights that you recommend?
I start seeds indoors—usually too early and too many. I haven’t started any this year yet.
Thanks again!
Foliage is my favorite- color and texture. But I do have a few areas that I’m striving for more of a cottage feel. I’m not into veggies but my husband has done veggies through the years especially a salsa garden and also he likes to grow items he can harvest for the local food bank.
ENJ🌳YED
Great advice but there are things about how this video was put together that are just stressing me out. I think it mostly has to do with the background music being much too distracting, but also aggressive transitions/cuts to b roll. Maybe because I’m a musician and overly focus on the music but I couldn’t get through the whole thing😂
I just love your hair!! Your beautiful garden speaks for itself! So enjoy your channel!
So beautiful and thoughtful!!
🌺🌺🌺🌺
Both!!
Such helpful ideas.
Love your cat
I just moved to a new home….left my lovely garden behind and starting over. My last place was full sun, this home has many large trees so dappled and lots of shade, some sunny areas. Also lots of deer and bunnies so finding new things to replace my beloved roses and hydrangeas. Staking my fruit trees with t posts and fishing line, praying it works to keep the deer at bay.
I would love to have cut flowers then veggies! I'm in zone 9. San Jose, CA
Just a thought on your pencil poker…what about chopstick that you’ve marked with depth lines? 💫