Great Garden Spotlight: Brad (@garden.evolution)

July 27, 2021

We may supply the great plants, but it’s our customers that have the great gardens! Every day we find ourselves in awe of the amazing gardens you share with us on social media. We find so much joy in what you share that we couldn’t just keep them to ourselves, so we started our Great Garden Spotlight series! We hope this series helps you find inspiration, connect with fellow gardeners, and learn a few great gardening tips along the way.

Meet Brad, who you may already know as @garden.evolution on Instagram and youtube. Brad has cultivated an incredible new garden at his 1874 farmhouse in Ohio, filled with flourishing flowers and major cottage garden vibes. Besides the obvious, there really is one thing that makes Brad and his garden extra special. Brad is always lifting other gardeners up, whether it’s through educating stories, Q&As, or just shouting out fellow gardeners that are killing it in their gardens. His garden is inspirational, he is motivational, and that is why he is in our Great Garden Spotlight!

Feeling inspired by his photos? Create a similar look by shopping the plants tagged in each picture!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR GARDEN! WHAT’S YOUR ZONE, WEATHER, SOIL, AND LIGHT LIKE?

First, I would like to say thank you to Great Garden Plants for taking notice of my garden and spotlighting me. I’m truly honored to be a part of this lineup of other gardeners! Currently, we are a zone 6 here in Northeast Ohio, with our weather being pretty unpredictable at this point. We’ve had a fast warm-up, weeks of straight rain, and more weeks of being so dry, hot, and humid! Even the soil in my garden is pretty all over the place. For a home that was built in 1874, you would think the soil would be perfect, but it hasn’t been worked much. It’s mostly a mix of clay and decent soil, so I can’t complain really. Our garden is mostly full sun since we had to take down about 7 trees from disease and wrong placement from the previous owner. Don’t worry though, I’ve planted double that since starting the garden with more to come!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR GARDEN STYLE? IS THERE A THEME YOU FOLLOW OR ANY RULES?

As far as my garden style, I’ve always been rooted in cottage gardens. When I first got the gardening bug, I was majorly inspired by my neighbor’s cottage garden, where I got my first plants. Over the years, though, I’ve become a little looser with my designs. I am inspired by natural-style gardens, but adding my own twists. I hate rules, though, and think gardening is meant to be a personal journey. You should create a garden you love!

Shop This

Close up on some foliage that has small white flowers

WHAT PLANT IN YOUR GARDEN SERVES THE BEST PURPOSE?

I don’t cling to just one plant in a sense, but if I had to pick just one I think it would have to be Calamintha nepeta sp. nepeta (calamint). It’s in bloom for so long and is neutral enough with its soft white blooms that it can be in any part of your garden and unify the look as you go about. I will also suggest Geranium Rozanne if you have the room for her, as it’s such a workhorse for blooms!

WHAT PLANT IS A MUST-HAVE IN YOUR GARDEN?

Without a doubt and the quickest answer I’ll ever come up with is coneflowers!!! Echinacea are my passion and I’ve been collecting them for a couple of years now. I currently have about 50 named varieties and won’t stop till I find them all! Pollinator magnets! These are classic cottage plants from the prairies that are so easy to incorporate into a garden because of the range of colors, shapes, and sizes available today. A garden must have them!! Must!

garden with red coneflowers, greenery, and lavendar

Beautiful garden with red, yellow, and white flowering plants

Shop This

WHAT’S YOUR BEST ‘GREAT GARDEN TIP’?

Don’t go too hard, too fast on building your garden. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say, and neither should your garden. Take the time to read up on your plant choices and why you might make them. The right plant for the right place isn’t a lie. Enjoy the building process, and if you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world! Gardening is a journey that so many of us find as therapy, a release, a hobby, a creative outlet. Find that passion and just keep going! We all have green thumbs. It’s learning through the years and connecting with other gardeners that make it so much fun!

Written by: Miranda Niemic, click here to read bio.

Questions, comments, or concerns? Let us know! We have an experienced, knowledgeable staff ready to make sure your garden turns out perfect. Or check out our other blogs, here.