Nostalgia Gardens Are the Mood-Booster We All Need—Here's How to Create One

Nostalgia gardens also offer a place to foster creativity and personal style and to extend our living spaces outdoors. “When there’s so much in the world we can’t control, beautifying your garden is something anyone can do,” says avid gardener and garden educator Jenny Rose Carey, author of The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide, who also grew up in a family of gardeners in England. “Many of us live very scattered lives these days, and when you feel that connection to nature and other gardeners, it’s such a gift. It’s building community through gardens and a shared love.”

1. Grow the Flowers You Love

Think about which ones you recognize; even if you’ve never gardened, most people can identify old-fashioned favorites such as sunflowers, roses, peonies, irises and daisies. “There are so many flowers that that have been passed along through the generations because they’re so beautiful,” says Carey. If you don’t know the names, search for “flowers that grow in my state” or talk to neighbors who garden.

2. Include Fragrant Plantings

“I think the number one element in a nostalgia garden is to plant something for scent,” says Cervoni. “Everyone has something they recognize, like the lilac their grandma grew or the basil their parents had in their garden. It’s like time-traveling to childhood when you smell these plants.”

3. Mix it Up With Annuals, Perennials and Shrubs

Annuals, such as marigolds and begonias, add bright pops of long-lasting, instant color, while perennials, such as lavender and hummingbird mint, will come back for many years and bloom for several weeks each season. Shrubs, such as hydrangeas and forsythia, bring structure to the space, says Cervoni.

4. Include a Place to Sit and Enjoy the View

Your garden is meant to be enjoyed and lived in. “Once you’ve designed your garden, you want a place to sit to enjoy it,” says Carey. Seating can be as simple as a large rock, a log or a simple bench. Add a few steppingstones or pavers that lead you out to the seating area.

5. Think Seasonally

Typically, you’ll spend most of your time outdoors in the summer. But try to include a planting for each season, including spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, or fall-blooming perennials such as asters, says Carey. There are even winter-blooming flowers, such as witch hazel, you can enjoy when gazing outside from the coziness of your home.

6. Learn to Layer Old and New

“If an existing space has older plants, build onto that,” says Cervoni. “You can rip out invasive plants or plants you don’t love, but by keeping the older plantings, such as a mature boxwood, then planting around and in front of it, the space feels more settled and looks older. It’s also a more sustainable and budget-friendly approach.”

7. Place Plants Close Together

Forget about the standard commercial plantings of evenly spaced annual flowers, all neatly surrounded by mulch. To capture the essence of the nostalgia garden, opt for a plant-packed garden with the plants growing so closely together that they overlap, spilling over paths and each other, says Carey.

8. Include Containers

If you have only a small deck or patio, you can capture a sense of nostalgia through containers. Look for vintage pieces, such as an aged copper pot or a moss-covered container, to provide that feeling of history, and fill it with flowers you love. “If all you have is a tiny balcony, it can be something as simple as a potted lavender plant in a unique container,” says Cervoni.

9. Create a Sense of Enclosure

Many urban garden settings don’t allow you to sit out without being on full display for the neighbors. Even if it’s three shrubs planted in a triangle with a bench set between them, aim to incorporate a place that offers a feeling of privacy when you’re outdoors, says Carey.

10. Add a Water Feature

A simple birdbath adds a charming, vintage-y feel, and it also becomes a focal point in the winter, says Carey. Materials such as aged concrete, ceramic, or copper are ideal.