If we were handed a completely blank property tomorrow, there are a few things we already know would go straight back into the garden.
Some are plants we’ve completely fallen in love with. Others are design elements we now can’t imagine gardening without. Over the years, we’ve learned that the most beautiful gardens are also the ones that feel layered, peaceful, and practical to care for.
Today we’re sharing the 10 things that will always have a place in our garden here in Zone 6A Upstate New York. Whether you’re starting from scratch or simply looking for fresh garden inspiration, these are the plants and garden design ideas we return to again and again.
It probably comes as no surprise that hydrangeas top our list.
Hydrangeas are truly the backbone of our garden because different varieties bloom at different times, giving us months of color and interest throughout the growing season.
One of our favorite smooth hydrangeas is Invincibelle Spirit II®. Smooth hydrangeas bloom on new wood, which makes them incredibly reliable in colder climates like ours.
We also love panicle hydrangeas like Quick Fire Fab® and Pinky Winky®, especially for structure and large summer blooms.
And one hydrangea that completely surprised us? Oakleaf hydrangeas.
We originally weren’t sure about them, but now we adore the texture, foliage, and long-lasting interest they bring to the garden. Our newest favorite is Gatsby Glow Ball®, a compact oakleaf hydrangea with blooms that mature from white to glowing green.
If hydrangeas confuse you a little, you are definitely not alone.
We created our complete Hydrangea Handbook to help gardeners identify the different types, understand pruning, and design with hydrangeas more confidently.
Perfect place for CTA/link:
Roses are another plant we would never garden without.
We love using roses in multiple ways throughout the garden:
One standout in our garden is the beautiful apricot Carding Mill rose from David Austin Roses. The fragrance alone makes it worth growing.
For low-maintenance landscape roses, we also love Oso Easy® Peasy roses, which create an incredible wall of color with minimal care.
Drip irrigation has completely changed the way we garden.
For a garden our size, hand watering simply isn’t realistic long term. Our drip system keeps plants healthier, saves time, and waters far more efficiently.
We use:
One of the best parts? Once mulch and compost go down, you barely even see the system.
If drip irrigation feels intimidating, we put together a beginner-friendly guide showing exactly what we use in our setup. You can grab the Drip Irrigation freebie here.
Japanese maples have become one of our biggest garden obsessions.
The texture, shape, color, and sculptural quality they bring to the landscape is hard to describe until you’ve lived with them in a garden.
Some favorites in our garden include:
We love using Japanese maples:
Their artistic branching and seasonal color changes make them feel almost like living sculptures.
Evergreens are what hold the garden together.
Flowers may come and go, but evergreens provide:
We especially love combining blue and gold evergreens for contrast.
Some favorites in our garden include:
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that gardens need structure just as much as they need flowers.
Evergreens give the eye a place to rest and make the entire garden feel intentional—even in winter.
Water changes the feeling of a garden completely.
We started small with a birdbath, then added fountains, and eventually built a large pondless waterfall.
Now we honestly can’t imagine the garden without the sound of moving water.
Water features:
Even a simple fountain can completely transform a space.
Vertical gardening adds an entirely different layer to a landscape.
One plant we get asked about constantly is Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle—a native honeysuckle grown for its glowing silver bracts and bright red berries.
We also love:
These climbing plants bring:
And they help maximize growing space beautifully.
Garden structures are both practical and beautiful.
Obelisks, trellises, and supports create vertical interest even before plants fill in.
We especially love the elegant structures from Agriframes because they become part of the garden design itself.
Some favorites include:
Garden structures:
These are some of the most magical plants in the garden.
See-through plants have airy stems and flowers that float above the border, creating movement and softness without feeling heavy.
Favorites in our garden include:
These plants:
They’re one of the easiest ways to make a garden feel layered and romantic.
If you had told us years ago that rocks would become one of our favorite garden elements, we probably would have laughed.
But now we use stone constantly throughout the garden:
Rocks help ground the garden visually and create a more natural, established feeling.
They also provide practical benefits for drainage and erosion control.
And honestly? Plants just look beautiful growing alongside stone.
When we look back at everything we’ve added to our garden over the years, these are the elements we’d choose again immediately.
Not because they’re trendy, but because they’ve helped create a garden that feels beautiful, layered, peaceful, and personal.
If you’re building a garden from scratch, we hope this gives you some inspiration for creating a space you’ll love for years to come.
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