This is not a how to article, TGG readers… it is an inspirational post about learning to open our eyes, and remember that the reason we garden isn’t just to create good curb appeal, or to impress the neighbor across the street. We garden because it is our opportunity to nurture our own little creation of nature. To help it grow and prosper, to learn from its ability to adapt, and to adjust our expectations when nature throws us a curve ball. Nature offers us so many rewards, and it’s good to remember that it doesn’t fit neatly into a box. In fact, it shouldn’t. Because I believe gardening, like nature, is part of our lives to inspire us to create. To be creative. To think, much as I hate the overused term, “outside the box”.

So here we go readers, check out these inspirational gardens that stretch our thinking and our imaginations. From the simplest combination of plant and structure, to complex roof gardens, and everything in between and outside those lines… take these ideas, scale them down if you will and incorporate just a little bit of creative extremism into your most special spaces!