What happens when you spend a month gardening at one of the world's most celebrated gardens... and then come home to the heat, humidity, clay soil, and deer of the American South?

In Part 2 of our Summer Series on English Gardens, Tessa takes us behind the scenes at Great Dixter, where every morning begins with a broom, every planting is a thoughtful experiment, and being called "a dinosaur in the beds" is about the worst thing that can happen to a gardener.

But this episode isn't really about England.

It's about what happens when those lessons come home.

We unpack how working at Great Dixter changed the way we both garden in the South—not by copying English gardens plant-for-plant, but by embracing the posture behind them. We talk about creating gardens that are always evolving, learning to observe before acting, taking creative risks, developing your own style instead of chasing the safest landscape, and discovering that the real art of gardening doesn't end when the design is installed... it begins.

Along the way we chat about succession planting, tea breaks, sweeping paths, why "low maintenance" might actually mean "low brain-tenance," and how curiosity and experimentation can transform even the most ordinary backyard into something deeply personal.

We also squeeze in a classic Garden Gab round of Brag or Bust (RIP to one vintage terracotta pot), celebrate some long-awaited wins in the garden, compare Bobo and Little Lime hydrangeas, check in on Molly's bees, and admire a brand-new pair of glasses.

Whether you're dreaming of visiting Great Dixter one day or simply wondering how to create a more joyful, creative garden right where you are, we hope this conversation inspires you to garden a little more courageously—and to remember that a beautiful garden isn't about recreating someone else's masterpiece. It's about cultivating one that's uniquely your own.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What Great Dixter taught us that translates surprisingly well to Southern gardens
• Why gardening is an ongoing creative act and not just maintenance
• Observing before acting and learning to "read" a garden
• Finding your own gardening style instead of playing it safe
• Succession planting, experimentation, and thoughtful risk-taking
• Garden Brag or Bust
• Hydrangeas, honey, new glasses, and a tragic terracotta casualty

Plus, we share more about our upcoming Garden Gab England Tour, where we'll be taking listeners behind the scenes of some of our favorite gardens—including Great Dixter itself. Register your interest HERE!!

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