Inspiring Backyard Garden Ideas

Welcome to a new chapter of Garden Moxie to provide backyard garden ideas for home gardeners!

After years of gardening in Southeast Michigan (Zone 6a), we moved to a brand-new garden in Kentucky. The move comes with challenges.

It’s not just about plants. It’s about living beautifully, slowly, and intentionally in a world that constantly demands more from us.

And so, I find myself once again standing in a yard that’s a blank slate. Full of possibility. My focus will be creating an inspiring backyard garden on a budget. I hope you’ll join me.

Why We Moved—and What We Left Behind

Leaving a mature garden behind wasn’t easy. In Michigan, I built a four-season retreat filled with perennial plants, charming paths, and intimate corners perfect for morning coffee or evening unwinding. That garden taught me everything I know about low-maintenance garden design, seasonal color, and the rhythm of home gardening.

But sometimes, we’re called to start over. My husband and I wanted a quieter, simpler life. That’s why we moved to Kentucky. Now we have a blank slate that we want to fill with inspiring backyard ideas.

Here is a look at the backyard the day we arrived to our temporary home (below).

We made improvements straight away to improve the turf and clean up the existing yard. You can see how things look 4 weeks after our arrival to our temporary home.

The plan is to divide the backyard into three terraced sections.

I am planting the first terrace now. I have positioned 7 Oakland Holly trees with a 5 foot spacing to establish the edge of the first terrace. There are 7 Invincibelle Mini Mauvette hydrangeas to help hide the edges of the deck.

What Is Garden Moxie’s Mission?

At Garden Moxie, I want to do more than share gardening tips. I want to help you transform your everyday yard into a meaningful space—a space that reflects who you are and what you value.

Gardens aren’t just for growing flowers. Gardens are a place to escape the stress of every day life. Gardens provide peace, connection, and beauty.

Backyard garden ideas:

• A home garden should be your retreat, not your weekend burden.
• You don’t need a big budget or a professional designer to create beauty.
• Historic gardening wisdom still holds the key to modern joy.
• You can build a garden that looks good in every season, even if you’re working full-time.

My New Kentucky Garden – A Blank Slate In Zone 6B

Our Kentucky garden is a Zone 6B, and I’m already noticing the shifts: longer growing seasons, different plant timing, and a landscape that feels more generous.

I’m starting from scratch here—no borders, no soil improvements. It’s humbling. I definitely need some good backyard garden ideas that I’ll share on YouTube and the blog.

To make matters more complex, we are living in a temporary home while our “forever” home is built.

We are determined to create a beautiful space even if it’s temporary. This new space will become a living laboratory for everything I teach: how to create a low-maintenance perennial garden on a budget, how to build beauty, and how to design a peaceful garden retreat.

Over the next months, I’ll be documenting:

• The full process of designing a new home garden from bare lawn
• Backyard garden layout ideas for different zones
• My favorite pollinator-friendly plants
• Garden structures that add personality to your space
• Lessons I’m learning from historical gardeners and classic garden design

There is A Shift Happening

Something bigger is happening around us. People are reevaluating what it means to live well. We’re tired of hustle culture, of screens, of rushing through life. Gardening gives us something different. Something real.

Whether it’s a simple flower bed, a cozy backyard garden nook, or a full garden overhaul, Garden Moxie is here to inspire and guide you. Not toward perfection. But towards creating your own garden retreat.

Join Me on This Journey

I hope you’ll follow along as I build our Kentucky garden, drawing inspiration from historical gardens and the deep, universal desire to live beautifully at home.

Because building a home and garden matters—it’s important work. And it’s work worth doing with heart, patience, and moxie.

Let’s grow something great together.