Garden Playbook

Our Garden Playbook is based on our own experiences and observations and is designed as a flexible guide to help gardeners create beautiful and enduring gardens. When we started five years ago, we knew nothing about gardening, yet we’ve since planted over 10,000 plants. This is the guide we wish we had, simplifying decision-making while celebrating the artistry of gardening.

Our playbook is comprised of 5 Modules:

Modules Overview

1. Plant Sets – Building the Foundation of Your Garden

At the heart of the playbook is the Plant Sets Framework, which organizes plants into four purposeful groups:

• Foundation Set: Long-blooming, low-maintenance, pollinator-loving plants that provide the backbone of your garden.

• Core Set: Shorter-blooming but reliable plants that complement Foundation plants.

• Select Set: High-maintenance, specialty plants for dramatic focal points.

• Foliage Set: Grasses and ferns that add texture, movement, and year-round structure.

This module introduces the framework, explains how to use it, and highlights practical tools like our at-a-glance labels to simplify plant selection.

2. How Plants Are Grown – and Sold

Learn how our growing process prioritizes plant health and adaptability:

• Soil Blocks on Trays: Tiny Plants begin as 2-inch soil blocks grown on trays, fostering natural root development.

• Indoor Mini Beds: Plants transition to mini beds as they mature into Standard Plants.

• Big Bloomers: Fully matured Standard Plants ready to bloom for immediate garden impact.

This module also explains why we grow plants in open areas rather than pots and how this method ensures resilience and long-term success.

3. Design – Bringing Plant Sets to Life

This module focuses on turning the structured Plant Sets into a cohesive, beautiful garden. Key concepts include:

• Drifts: Creating impactful, flowing groupings of plants for bold visual statements.

• Layering: Combining plants from different sets to build depth, height, and seasonal interest.

• Dense Planting: Maximizing space by planting closely to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and create lush, full gardens.

4. Garden Preparation – Setting the Stage for Success

A thriving garden starts with thoughtful preparation. This module covers:

• Soil improvement and weed control techniques, including solarizing.

• Planning garden layouts, raised beds, and pathways to support intentional planting.

5. Starting Plants – The Seedling Journey

Master the art of starting plants from seed with this module:

• Seed Selection: How advancements in seed treatment make starting perennials easier than ever.

• Soil Blocks: Learn to use soil blocks for sustainable, efficient seed-starting.

• Myth-Busting: Address common misconceptions, such as:

  • "It’s hard to start perennials from seeds."

  • "Perennials grown from seed won’t bloom in the first year."

  • "Certain seeds always need stratification."

Discover how our innovative approach, including seeds packaged in Miron glass jars, makes seed-starting simpler and more enjoyable.

What Makes the Garden Playbook Unique?

Our Garden Playbook is unique because it comes from real experience and observation, not from repeating concepts we’ve been told for years. Instead, it’s built on questioning and challenging traditional ideas to find what truly works. This playbook captures the lessons we’ve learned from planting over 10,000 plants in five years and discovering firsthand how to create thriving, sustainable gardens.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, our Garden Playbook provides the tools, insights, and inspiration to create a garden that thrives for years to come. Each module builds on the others, offering a flexible framework - but as we jump around as we develop our gardens you can navigate the modules as you like.