Garden Moxie
For those who believe gardens deserve serious attention. Learn the design principles behind extraordinary gardens and apply them to create spaces that are intentional, immersive, and timeless.
The Work
I’m Sue Libertiny, a mechanical engineer who stepped away from a career to build a garden. I’m building a garden from the ground up on 20 acres in Kentucky.
Before Kentucky, I gardened for years on a half acre suburban plot in Michigan. My Michigan garden had mature beds, fertile soil, and hedges that only time can build. When my husband and I made the decision to move and build from the ground up, that familiar garden was left behind. Rabbit Run is where we landed. It’s our temporary home while we build.
Rabbit Run is an experimental garden. This is where I will trial plants to learn what thrives in this Kentucky clay soil. These lessons will shape Sugar Hill.
The Perspective
Great gardens are not accidents. They are built from a series of design decisions. Decisions about enclosure, movement, perspective, and time. I’ll be sharing those decisions in hopes they can help you make decisions in your own space.
Garden Moxie draws from both lived experience and the work of historic gardeners to explore what makes a garden not just beautiful, but meaningful. I’m focused on the design principles that make spaces extraordinary.
Garden Moxie Field Notes
Garden Moxie Field Notes is a record of my Kentucky garden as it unfolds. Each issue explores the principles behind my design choices, the plants being trialed, and whatever else the season brings. Field Notes arrives every other week.
Latest from the Garden
In this video, I’ll walk you through how I transformed my patio container display using the triangular rule — a simple technique that creates visual depth. You’ll see how small changes like pot color, plant grouping, and layering height can change the feel of a container garden.
Start with the foundations of great garden design
If you’re new to Garden Moxie, I suggest you begin with the design principles that help us create beautiful spaces.
Start with the Bones
Why structure matters more than plants
Timeless Design Principles
The elements that make a garden feel complete
What Great Gardens Teach Us
Lessons from the designers who built them
These aren’t quick tips. They are the design principles that help us build extraordinary spaces.