Susan and Tom Libertiny from Garden Moxie
Susan and Tom Libertiny at Gravetye Manor

You Don’t Need to be a Garden Designer to Have a Beautiful Home Garden

Hi. I’m Sue Libertiny. I tackle the creation, care and maintenance of a small-scale Midwest garden in a very manageable way. My garden is located in southern Michigan USA (Zone 6a). I believe gardens are more than pretty flowers. Our gardens help us escape from the stress and pressure of daily life. There is a truth in the beauty of nature that is healing. Building a beautiful garden and home matters. It’s important work.

We all start gardening as beginners. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to be a Garden Designer to have a beautiful garden. It’s great if you have time to train as a designer, but most of us simply want to create a peaceful spot to relax. That’s exactly how I started.

My first home garden was a 3 ft x 7 ft section of lawn, dug up, surrounded with landscape bricks, and planted with perennials rescued from a friend’s garden. No soil preparation. No grand plan. No color scheme. I had no idea how to make a garden. Yet despite this inexperience, those flowers grew like champs and sparked an obsession.

Gardens Are More Than Pretty Flowers

Surrounding ourselves with beauty and nature helps us deal with the stresses of daily life. Our gardens are a sanctuary. An escape.

Gardening is more than pretty flowers. It’s a way to unwind, a source of inspiration, and a creative outlet that’s wonderfully affordable. From tips on making your garden a stress-busting retreat to DIY projects that’ll add a touch of green to your living space, I’ve got loads of ideas waiting for you.

Sharing What I’ve Learned about Home Gardening

I love gardening so much that I trained as a Master Gardener at Michigan State University, completed garden design courses, and now spend every free moment in the garden. 

My husband, Tom, also helps. He is the certified ditch digger (I certified him following a very rigorous procedure), photographer, and the official “figure-out-how-to-build-this-thing-we-need” guy.

My humble beginnings are proof that you can build a beautiful home garden too. Let’s grow and learn together.