Vote for Your Favorite Stories & Join Daily Giveaways!

STEP 1

Scroll through this page and choose your favorite stories. The person with more votes will win a kitchen garden.

STEP 2

Everyone who votes also enters daily giveaways including the Grand Prize giveaway, a 4x4 raised bed with an obelisk trellis.

*The prizes of this giveaway are only shipped in the 48 contiguous states. If you win and don't meet this requirement, we will send you digital prizes (gardening ebooks &courses).

"I have been sharing my garden rewards to my family and friends who had helped me get through my journey with breast cancer."

"A week after my surgery 2/2022(left single mastectomy), I started my garden, weeding every day for few mins until I got stronger. I regained full range of motion of my left arm in six months. 4 weeks after surgery, I still have to undergo chemotherapy once a week for 12 doses.

The more that I put my head down and worked on my yard, it gave me space to focus on something productive and veered me away from feeling sorry for myself.

Seeing my family enjoy the space, especially my son with Autism, a space full of sensory stuff, texture, color, smell, and taste, was an achievement for me. It is also a safe place for him to play outdoors. My friends would enjoy a basket of calamansi or a bunch of carrots, or a braid of garlic.

I used to plant in plots that I had to dig; then i stumbled upon this garden picture consisting of 4 raised beds, and I fell in love with it. It became a personal goal for myself to make my garden look like the picture or close to it. I needed to slow down a bit with this goal for I developed neuropathy on my feet and hands. It’s still a work in progress; I was able to put in beds as my budget would allow. My seeds are still growing slowly in my makeshift greenhouse. It’s been a wonderful journey, and I will continue to work in my garden that gave me a new perspective in life."

Rhina Dalmacio

"I am tired of working 3 jobs 7 days a week just to be able to put food on our table."

"I would like to win a kitchen garden so my family can eat fresh and truly organic food that has been grown by us. The rewards of growing your own food are emotionally priceless.

I am tired of working 3 jobs 7 days a week just to be able to put food on our table.

Although I am a registered nurse and make decent money, I am the only source of income for our household, and I am honestly exhausted. My whole life, I have had to fight.

Aimee Rodriguez

"I found gardening therapeutic after the passing of my youngest child AmiaRose. If I didn’t have this outlet, I don’t think I would have made it. Many days I’d garden from sun up till sundown."

"When she passed away, I was gifted lots of plants and roses. I didn’t know anything about plants, but I knew I had to keep them alive. Not long after that, I found Gardenary and the Kitchen Garden Revival book. These resources have been a tremendous help to someone like me that knew nothing about gardening.

A lot of days I laid in the garden, sometimes praying sometimes crying. My garden has changed a lot over the past 6 years, and right now, it’s a small area, and it’s a mess, but I still tend to it daily. It gives me the peace I need. Gardening will forever be a part of my life and therapy. I cannot live without it."

Elizabeth MenardBrown

"I would like to show my students how to grow their own food."

"I am a family and consumer sciences teacher at my local high school. I would like to show my students how to grow their own food and bring in fresh seasonal produce for my students to use in labs."

Mary Ellen Caracappa

"We just had our sixth baby, so we need to grow our own food."

"Gardening had become a great passion of mine, but I am still such a newbie. We love supplementing our grocery bill with what we grow. We just had our 6th baby, so we recognize the need for self-sufficiency and growing food for our family to eat.

I also am 15 years cancer-free, so we grow food as medicine and enjoy learning about and growing cancer-fighting plant foods."

Cortney Campbell

"I am Cuban/Lebanese & so much of my personal cultural history is tied up in gardens."

"I just bought a home, and the front yard is a little hilly and has a gorgeous tree in the middle, but I don’t know how to design a good garden for the space! I am Cuban/Lebanese and so much of my personal cultural history is tied up in gardens.

My great-grandmother farmed coffee in Cuba, both my grandmothers grew gardens in Cuba to feed their families, & growing up, my parents spent time with my siblings & me outside in the yard watching things grow. I want to make a place to cultivate that tradition and personal history so it can live on."

Gisselle vega

"As a person that suffers from severe anxiety, I benefit greatly from having my hands in the soil and being grounded."

"As a mom to young kids, I want them to learn where food actually comes from. As a person concerned about the environment, I want to do my part to reduce the massive distance food travels.

Amanda Bartholomew

"My little family has made it a goal to be more sustainable and self-sufficient."

"My little family has made it a goal to be more sustainable and self-sufficient. I grew up growing raspberries and green onions, and I would lay next to those green onions and smell the spicy earth in the hot sun. I fell in love with gardening. Especially when my mom would tell me to run out and get some chives, eggs, and spinach for breakfast. I want to continue that legacy of onion earth and snacking raspberries to this next generation."

Mesa Rose Brewer

"I discovered gardening when I lost my job in 2021. It gave me a new purpose."

Working with the dirt and learning about plants really helped with the depression that came with losing a career I had worked 12 years to build. It gave me a new purpose and even my 4 children enjoyed spending time in my very small garden. I would love to expand on what little I have now, but don't have the means to do it. Winning this would be a great way for me to do that!

My grandmother recently shared with me how my grandfather worked the fields picking veggies and fruit as a migrant worker from Mexico and how much he loved it. He would bring seeds back home and also had a small backyard garden. She said I inherited my love for plants from him. Something about tending to my garden and watching things grow successfully from seed makes me feel so connected to my roots and has brought so much calmness and enjoyment to my life!"

Diana Powell

"I hurt my back ( L5S1 injury), and it’s becoming very hard to DIY in the garden."

I wanted to make a kitchen garden in this spot. It would be wonderful to have your help! I’d be so very grateful!

Charyn

"As a chef and single mama of two, I love to cook, but I don't have the money to build my kitchen garden."

"I have been renting my house out for some time, and when I got it back, it was in really bad condition. So I’ve been remodeling the inside. I’m a single mama of two, and I’m a chef, and I love to cook so much. I don’t have the money to do the outside, but I would love to be able to grow food to share with my family and friends, and neighbors. I would be forever grateful to have this opportunity. I’m going to manifest it. Thank you so much."

Desiree Avila

"I have really enjoyed getting my kids involved with gardening and being able to provide them with food that I know I exactly what went into growing it."

"This is my first year having a garden! I found the Gardenary page just a few weeks before we built our raised beds and planted our garden. I have loved learning about intensive gardening and all things planting ever since! I would love to expand my garden next year and create more of a permanent area! I have really enjoyed getting my kids involved with gardening and being able to provide them with food that I know I exactly what went into growing it. The designs Nicole comes up with are absolutely gorgeous, and it would be incredible to have a garden oasis in my own back yard!"

Jennifer Johnson

"I'd love to grow our own food and share it with others at the local farmers market we helped start, but after my hip replacement I need raised beds."

"I had planned to finally get my garden up and running this spring…but instead had a total hip replacement after years of being an avid runner. Instead of gardening and painting my shed, my plate has been full chasing around my 3 girls, age 6 and under. Now raised beds are a necessity due to my back and hip pain. I really want to grow some of our own food, share with others at the local farmers market we helped start, and enjoy gardening with my kids. I just need a little extra help to get there now."

Sheila Griffin

"My son has a G-Tube, and I blend all of his meals/snacks. I’d absolutely love to use fresh veggies."

"I’d love to learn how to garden fruits and vegetables for my family. My almost 3-year-old son has a G-Tube, and I blend all of his meals/snacks. I’d absolutely love to use fresh veggies instead of frozen ones. It would be a dream, and I know his health would benefit from it!"

Valerie Kim

"When I’m out there in the garden, I’m not lost in anxiety, worry, or depression."

"I just built the greenhouse in the picture and have that entire section behind it that I’d love to dedicate to this. I have a brand new love for gardening and want to grow our own food at home for a healthier life, but honestly, I’m a single mom, and this phase of life has been pretty hard. Gardening is therapeutic. What I have is so small and just barely started, but when I’m out there, I’m not lost in anxiety, worry, or depression. I’d love to build what you have. It’s life-giving to just be in, but also to eat from, obviously. Making meals straight from the garden is a dream."

Tammy Oppenhuizen

"My friend Rebecca (who's in her late 70s) and I love our time together in the garden. She said I've motivated her to get back in the garden."

"I moved from Southern California to Prospect, Kentucky, in December 2022. After living on 4 acres and mainly a rose and fruit tree grower, I was missing having a garden. My dear friend, Rebecca, is sharing her garden with me, but it has not had any attention for over two years. She is in her late 70s and cannot maintain it any longer.

We both crave to have a healthy garden and healthy food. We can't afford to fix it up, so we're just using what has been there for years. There are so many weeds and bad soil, and rotting wood.

We love our time together, and we love to be in the Garden together. She said I've motivated her to get back in the garden. And she's given me a beautiful gift of land to grow on and her time. We need help and tools to make our time and food healthier and prettier."

GinaRose

"Gardening has been my redemption since I lost my baby late last year."

Not a lot of people knew I was pregnant, and the journey to healing was a bit lonely and traumatizing. Gardening has made me look forward to life every single day, and although I am still learning a lot, a great kitchen garden would be something I would want to have to take care of and to use to cook for my husband.."

Pia Caya

"I suffer from Lyme disease, and the garden is my safe place."

"It's my favorite safe haven. I suffer from Lyme disease, and the garden is my safe place. Even the hardest days are tolerable in the garden."

Amy

"Gardening kept me sane and joyful during my postpartum journey."

"My favorite thing to do while my baby sleeps is to get into my garden and spend some time among the flowers sipping a cup of hot tea or coffee. That was bliss.

I started my gardening journey with planting Dahlias. As the soil in my garden is very clay and has poor drainage, I used pots to plant dahlias and enjoyed every bit of the process, from planting them to seeing them blooming. Now I want to start planting vegetables in my garden. Now that Dahlia season is over, I want to fill my garden with lots of veggies, and Garden planter boxes would definitely be the best option considering the clay soil.

I can’t wait to get my hands on planting vegetables and spend my mornings and evenings ( or should I say whenever I get a break from Mom's duties) among them.

Gardening is my favorite part of the day. I feel like I gave birth to my first son and found a new passion in that journey. I would say they both came into my life at the same time. My sunshine and my plant babies , keep me in a state of joy all day. So this would be the best gift for myself, new plant mom, to create a magical space in my garden."

Aneesha Vinesh Elavana

" I would love to cultivate a garden as a way of connecting and teaching my kids."

"We moved from Colorado to Michigan with our 2 toddlers a year ago. We have been adjusting to our new lifestyle and the Michigan climate, and I am loving learning about what to plant in our new home. As a stay-at-home mom, I would love to cultivate a garden as a hobby and as a way of connecting and teaching my kids. We have a large unused garden bed in our side yard that I would love to transform into an oasis."

Corinne Lantis

"After losing my job unexpectedly, tackling the yard was the perfect way for me to reflect, think and move forward."

"After neglecting my backyard for 2 years (miscarriage > pregnancy > newborn life), I decided in January this was the spring that I was going to FINALLY start chipping away at bringing order back to our backyard. I was finally feeling like myself again, which felt good and motivating and inspired me to do something for myself.

After starting a new job in mid-January, I was laid off in March. A total gut punch for sure. This unexpected time off and the opportunity to embrace it to figure out what I want next has been the greatest blessing. I do my best thinking when I am active, and I like to see results, so tackling the yard was the perfect way for me to reflect, think and move forward. I made my to-do list (I love a good list) and just started.

I have weeded my beds, mulched, and put down ground cover to improve the neglected soil. I have always struggled with what to do in our side yard and then my sister shared the Gardenary Instagram account with me! Your sideyard is exactly what I dream of having! I cleaned out our side yard, where I think there could be the most amazing kitchen garden. I have prepped everything to be ready to plant next spring. I say that because my husband and I decided that we should wait to invest in the landscaping projects until I had a job, BUT THEN THIS GIVEAWAY POPPED UP!!!

Waking up and taking my coffee outside to check on what has happened in my yard feels like Christmas morning magic. I would love nothing more than to work alongside Nicole to build out an amazing kitchen garden that my family can enjoy and expand on over the years."

Fuller Hanan

"We’re always helping everyone else and I haven’t had extra money to do my garden."

"I’d love to feed my family from our garden. I have 5 children and 3 grandchildren. We always have a home full. My daughter and I are vegan and love living healthy lifestyles. Financially things have been tight because we’re always helping everyone else and I haven’t had extra money to do my garden. We have so much space and I’d love a peaceful space outside too."

Kari Vazquez

"We have been dealing with infertility/treatments, and we would love to love to build a garden."

"I worked so hard this year to start our garden and failed miserably. We have been dealing with infertility/treatments, so my garden took the backseat which is probably why everything died. I would love to learn and build a sufficient garden to help us save money at the grocery store and provide for our future family."

Julianne Barraclough

"The truth is I didn’t find gardening. It found me."

"I would love to win a kitchen garden. I recently started trying my hand at gardening and said that I’ve finally found something that I love. The truth is I didn’t find gardening. It found me. Before I started elementary school, I stayed with my Grandmother. Shortly after my parents dropped me off, she would make breakfast and shortly after that we were outside. I only recently remembered this. But they had all kinds of fruits and vegetables. While my Grandfather went to work, she worked at home to maintain their fresh food. When I’m outside trying to start my garden, I think of my grandmother a lot. I wonder what tips she’d give me. I want to pass this down to my daughters and future grandchildren."

Scotty Lewis

"After losing my 20-year husband, the garden gave me my joy back."

"My Beloved of 20 years flew to heaven 1015 days ago. For a very long time, I was slowly dying until I was inspired to grow a garden. I had no idea how to do it. But something told me I needed to grow things. And I did. It was the first time in a very long time that joy returned to my life. These little green things are sprouting from the ground. When I got my first fruiting tomato, I didn’t have the heart to pick it off like everybody told me to. So grateful for the joy it has brought to my heart."

Neva McFeely

"After being in the Air Force for 26 years, my husband and I have settled down and would love to start a kitchen garden."

"After being in the Air Force for 26 years, my husband and I have settled down in southwest Ohio. We have always dreamed of having a garden of our own where we can step outside to pluck food we’ve grown ourselves. Moving every 1-3 years kept us from investing too much time or money into a garden, but now that we are done with that phase of life, we’d love to start."

Robyn Harry

"I’m a full time caregiver to my mom she has Lewy Bodies Dementia. A garden will bring us both joy!"

"I took an interest in gardening during the pandemic for therapy for me and my mom. I’m a full time caregiver to my mom she has Lewy Bodies Dementia. I started growing tomatoes and had a small gardening box with mixed lettuce and it brought us both joy. I live in a city where of our neighborhood children aren’t exposed to gardening and I would to start that in my yard . My mom loves kid and plants. This will bring us both joy. I don’t work so winning will be a blessing."

Felicia Williams

"I live in a small town, so that means small options. Being able to have my own kitchen garden would allow me to grow the vegetables I love."

"I love vegetables and flowers. I live in a very small town, and my options are extremely limited. Being able to grow my own food would give me food freedom. But also help me with my new lifestyle of being plant-based. I’ve had some health issues, and my Dr. recommends plant-based eating as a way of life for me.

So having a kitchen garden would allow me to take better care of myself and stick to my healthy eating plan. I live in a small town, so that means small options. Being able to have my own kitchen garden would allow me to grow the vegetables I love and not have to drive 2 hours one way just for some Dino kale, for example.

Aside from being able to eat healthier and have a variety of vegetables and beautiful flowers…to be able to see the beauty of my very own kitchen garden would be OUTSTANDING. I think of all the mental, emotional, and physical benefits that I would receive from having a kitchen garden. I get excited thinking about it. And to be able to share delicious and beautiful things with my friends and neighbors….WOW, that would be awesome!

Bonnie

"I started my garden this year on April 11, in honor of my cousin who served in the war."

"I started my garden this year on April 11, the day we found out my cousin was killed in the war. It has been a place where I can be at peace again. Now my sister has begun to do the same. The garden is in honor of my cousin and is bringing my family closer! I know that I planted way late in the season, but seeing the life growing in the driveway has been a beautiful experience! Now I’m looking to expand my garden and move it to the backyard, where it can grow even more so!! Gardening was a distraction at first and now it is a passion of mine and place of peace."

Macy Brown

"I put my garden dream on hold to support our journey of having a baby as two queer women."

"I’m Deb, and my wife’s name is Sheena. We dream of turning this blank slate into a fruitful garden to teach our future children to love nature, nurture it, and grow with it.

Growing up, I ate fresh veggies and fruits from the garden my grandpa and dad created. I didn’t understand the significance of the garden as a child. But now, as an adult, I appreciate the love and care my grandpa and dad gave the garden, and the abundance and care the garden gave right back to us.

I so deeply dream of a vegetable garden and orchard to share with my wife and our future children. While we have high hopes for our dreams, our journey of having a baby isn’t the easiest or cheapest as two queer women. I’ve put my dream garden on hold in order to save money for fertility treatments and appointments with fertility specialists. There have been tears and disappointments, but far more excitement and hope to one day get pregnant and have our first child!

Winning this contest would allow us to build our dream garden to share with our future babies and future generations. The garden isn’t just about food. It’s about family, spending time together, learning, and carrying on traditions. My wife and I dream of carrying on these traditions and teaching our future children and grandchildren how to care for the earth, starting in our own backyard."

Debra

"It is an absolute joy to get my hands dirty and plant."

"I would absolutely LOVE to expand my garden. It has been a dream of mine since we moved into our home as newlyweds. But getting diagnosed with borderline tumors, surgery, and then recovery has removed it from our budget especially, as we pay off medical bills.

It is an absolute joy to get my hands dirty and plant, till, and water our little plot. One of the favorite parts of my day. I believe God gave us a beautiful gift in gardening. And I look forward to learning more and more as we (my husband and I - and the plants -) grow (both metaphorically and literally!!"

Jenna

"Our goal is to continue to grow our space to be able to share it for generations to come."

"It would be a dream to win a kitchen garden! I’ve recently become a mother, and although motherhood has been beautiful, it’s also had its lows. This year gardening has brought me so much joy; it’s lifted me in many ways that I can’t describe, and it’s also been extra special because I’ve been able to share every step with my 16-month-old daughter Zendaya. Our goal is to continue to grow our space to be able to share it for generations to come. We’re in zone 5b, so at the moment, we have a variety of vegetables, raspberries, Concord grapes, patio peach trees, and two new additions an Asian pear tree and a 5-1 apple tree. We’d love for you to come in and help our family plan out a beautiful space for us to continue to grow our garden!"

Neydi Landa Gomez

"Gardening has become a balm to my soul, particularly as I’ve struggled through complex PTSD and anxiety."

"Gardening has become a balm to my soul, particularly as I’ve struggled through complex PTSD and anxiety this past year to the point where it’s been debilitating. I’ve grown so much through the work I’ve put in, but gosh - getting my hands dirty and spending time in the garden has been one of the largest healing tools I’ve experienced. A kitchen garden and the opportunity to learn so much more about gardening would be such a gift!"

Megan Manne

"I would like to create a memorial kitchen garden for my son."

"I would like to create a memorial kitchen garden for my son, Jack, who was born sleeping on April 4. He unexpectedly passed away the morning before our scheduled c-section with no known cause, and his death has left our family with shattered hearts and a huge void in our lives. Having a kitchen garden in his honor would give me, my husband, and my daughter (age 4) a special place to feel connected to him. A place where we can tend to something beautiful, living and growing while we grieve what has been lost, but never forgotten."

Kristina Fortune Anderson

"Gardening has saved me from my darkest moments."

I’m disabled with difficulty walking and balancing, but gardening has saved me from my darkest moments. My new garden space is fairly inaccessible to me (I’ve fallen on uneven pathways). I would love the opportunity to create a safe and beautiful space in my new home.

Dari Matilsky

"As a former educator/science teacher. This opportunity provides me the ability to share and pay it forward to others."

"As a former educator/science teacher. This opportunity provides me the ability to share and pay it forward to others here in the triple digits of WestTexas to grow outside your home in a classy manner.

I would love to win a kitchen garden because it would be a beautiful edible landscape right outside my kitchen door. Garden to Table Heaven! I’m in love with gardening; it brings me joy to see the power of seeds."

Caley (Cali) Daniels

"One of my daughters got diagnosed with leukemia and will ring the bell in October. It's the perfect time to start our kitchen garden."

"A friend of mine took one of the Gardenary classes and began her kitchen garden. Since then, I have been dreaming of a kitchen garden. We moved to our fixer-upper in 2020 with a list of things that had to be done before I could start planning the kitchen garden.

Then one of my daughters got diagnosed with leukemia. All priorities changed, and projects were on pause for a really long period. I began a growth journey and realized I wanted and needed some changes. One of those changes is connecting more with nature, living a slower life, and eating more fresh and organic food, and I think all those things can get them with a kitchen garden.

My daughter will finally ring the bell in October, and we are almost done with house projects. It seems that it is time to start planning and making our kitchen garden; if we win, this will be a dream come true with the amazing help of experts."

Maria Tabush

"I've worked in the eating disorder field for 15 years. Gardening has always been my release and meditation place."

I work in the eating disorder field and have for 15 years. I adore my clients and the work that I do, but compassion fatigue is a very real thing. Gardening has always been my release and meditation place. We moved this past August, and I haven’t built a new garden for this house yet. Winning this kitchen garden would be the most amazing jump-off place so I can build/create/grow/meditate again. It would fill my bucket.

Christina

"I want this kitchen garden for my mom, who lost the love of her life of 54 years."

"I'm entering this giveaway for my mom. The picture is of her yard, and the headshot is of my sweet mom. She recently lost the love of her life of 54 years (my dad). I want this kitchen garden for her because she has always wanted a garden, but never had the time because she was always caring for my dad, who was sick."

Sunny Jasinski

"The garden allows me to teach my children."

"My garden is my ‘zen’ and allows me to teach my three children responsibility, creativity, confidence, and cooperation, to just name a few."

Tessa

"My mom has worked so hard all her life and would love a garden upgrade near her new home."

I am actually filling out this form for my mom, Mary Ann. She has had a traditional garden all her life on our family farm. She and my dad recently moved out of the farmhouse and into a pole barn home so my brother and his family, who are taking over the farm, can be near the animals. This means her garden is farther away.

As her body ages, it is harder for her to bend and harvest, to till and weed around plants, and to carry buckets of water to keep everything going. She loves involving her 14 grandkids in learning about the garden and teaches us all how to preserve the harvest. My mom has worked so hard all her life and would love a garden upgrade near her new home that is more manageable for her.

Mary Ann Miron

"Our family went plant based a few years ago to reverse my autoimmune disease."

Our family went plant based a few years ago to reverse my autoimmune disease. I’m so thankful to still be in remission! Since then, our youngest daughter was born and has multiple food allergies. I would love a way to improve the space we have in order to provide our family with fresh produce from our garden. I have experienced first hand the importance of nutrition and improving our garden space would be an incredible way to continue our health journey.

Whitney McClure

"Gardening has been my biggest stress reliever after losing my father-in-law and experiencing postpartum depression."

"I wanted to share my story because your page has motivated me to show my son the true love and hard work of gardening. I am a stay-at-home mom to a sweet 2-year-old boy who loves to garden with me and a 10-month-old daughter who is our tail in the garden, not too far behind.

My father-in-law committed suicide in 2021, 3 weeks after our first son was born, forcing me to take a permanent leave from work to care for our kiddos. Postpartum depression kicked me down to some very low points. My husband is a city fireman and is gone multiple days. The days are long of solo parenting, but gardening has been my biggest stress reliever, and I know it’ll be something my kids will remember and hopefully teach their kids one day like my ancestors did with me!

My two-year-old was adamant about adding mini pumpkins to the garden. With so many kids on our block, I thought it would be a hit!! We have begun digging our patch in front of our garden beds while our seedlings get bigger to transplant!

Winning your arch and garden beds would be an absolute dream for us. We bought my great grandparents house that they built in the late 40’s. Since then, we have been adding perennials from the 1950’s that were popular! Peonies, lily of the valley, and replanted iris’ from my other grandma's home! Your page has helped me during the trenches of motherhood, and gardening has helped me relax and be an even better mama!!"

Jennifer Larkin

"My husband and I are working towards living sustainably to show our son a more meaningful way of life."

"My husband and I are working towards living sustainably to show our son a more meaningful way of life. I came across your Instagram this year and have fallen in LOVE with intensive gardening! This is my first growing season making small implements, and I look forward to learning and doing more!!"

Katie Conrad Brown

"My big dream is to have a space for special needs kids to get their hands dirty in a beautiful environment."

"A designed garden space would be a dream come true. After trying to find a role outside of parenting my 4 kids (1 special needs child), I finally decided, after building my first raised garden based on your plans, that I’m right where I need to be.

Finding joy in learning and getting my hands dirty has been life’s greatest surprise. My kids have liked helping with it, and my big dream would be to have multiple gardens and spread love through flowers. My big dream in the future would be to have land to grow as a space for special needs kids to get their hands dirty in a beautiful environment and be fulfilled with helping create something from in the ground up."

Ellie

"I am a foster parent and it would be an amazing thing for these kids to cultivate a garden."

"I am a foster parent and have always wanted my own garden. It would be such an amazing thing for these kids to experience, learn, cultivate and see the beauty in gardening by growing their own food. Especially with the trauma these kids have experienced It would be a calming and rewarding activity to all do together"

Ashley schrimpf

"My dream is to have a garden!"

"My little space is small but I think it could be mighty! I retire on June22, 2023. My dream is to have a garden! As a cancer survivor, I hope to provide fresh vegetables for a healthy lifestyle."

Keri Baldridge

"As a family of 6, we would love to be able to grow some of our own food."

As a family of 6, we would love to be able to grow some of our own food. We recently moved into a home with a large backyard, but it’s overwhelming to figure out how to design a garden that is beautiful and functional, allows the kids to have space to play, and avoids the septic system. Please help.

Jill

"I have four children, and I want to teach them the importance and benefits of growing their own resources."

"I started my garden adventure this year after finding Gardenary on Instagram and ordering your book. My husband is a cotton, wheat, corn, and sorghum farmer. We’ve started small gardens before but never to this level.

I am an adult with ADHD as well as anxiety/depression. I had begun a deep slump and needed a reason to get out into the sunshine daily. I wanted to grow and fill the table with our hard work and grown food. I have four children (bonus daughter (13), 5, 2, and 1), and I want to teach them the importance and benefits of growing their own resources. I have so much to continue learning and hope that a garden makeover/reboot will help with that!!"

Andrea Higgins

"I am now a full-time caregiver for my husband with dementia and needed something productive to do in my spare time."

I have now become a full-time caregiver for my husband with dementia. I spend literally all my time at home and needed something productive to do in my spare time, like when he’s asleep. I'm a novice at gardening.

JoAnn

"The garden can be a place of peace for me and my two young boys. We are also in the process of adopting siblings from Macedonia."

"For my family, I have young children, and I believe there are so many lessons they can learn from gardening; patience, hard work, reward, quality time outside and with family, benefits of caring for plants and the earth, cooking our own food, etc. For myself, peace. We have two young boys and are in the process of adopting siblings from Macedonia. I believe this garden can be a place of peace for myself in the busyness of motherhood and a place of peace for my future children as well."

Erika Robinson

"We've had a challenging year, and this would be healing for body and soul."

I would love to look out my kitchen window and see new life and beautiful, nourishing food I can share with my family, friends, and neighbors. We've had a challenging year, and this would be healing for body and soul.

Brittni

"I spent most of my spring taking care of my 12-year-old, who has an eating disorder."

"I spent most of my spring taking care of my 12-year-old, who has an eating disorder due to the fact she developed a phobia of throwing up and stopped eating most foods. I haven't had a chance to work on my garden this spring."

Esther Maruani

"After we found out about our third daughter - a miracle after two losses and seven years of trying - gardening became a way I poured love into our home."

Gardening has been a huge part of my life over the last few years. I was always killing plants before, and after we found out about our third daughter - a miracle after two losses and seven years of trying - gardening became a way I poured love into our home. A kitchen garden, however, is one I just haven’t been able to start yet! We have the perfect spot - that sandy little area just past the pond - and I just haven’t had the chance to fund my big dream for the garden. I want to share with our now almost two-year-old since she’s always in the giant flower garden I created! It would be a blessing to get it started!

Melissa Durham

"My husband started our garden in remembrance of our stillborn."

"This year, I miscarried at 20 weeks. My husband started our garden in remembrance of our stillborn. It's coming along, but we struggle with pest management, using space effectively, and our flowers just haven't taken off. I would love some help!"

Megan Murray

"Showing my two little girls the joy and pride in growing something from nothing has been a highlight of my life."

"Showing my two little girls the joy and pride in growing something from nothing has been a highlight of my life. And I owe all of my gardening knowledge to you and your two books. To be able to grow this garden with your help would be an absolute dream for myself and my two littles."

Brionna Weintzweig

"I am a mom of three recovering from Lyme disease."

"I am a mom of three recovering from Lyme disease and grappling with past traumas. Starting to plant things has been amazing, and seeing the herbs that are sustaining growth has been transformative. I’ve always said I don’t have a green thumb. It’s been slow going, especially since I’ve been trying not to add a lot of plastic. I would love this opportunity!"

Lois

"I am hoping to transition to raised beds so that I can continue to garden comfortably."

"In a nutshell, I have a heredity kidney disease. It is important that I eat healthy. I need help to organize the space. I love your designs, and I am hoping to transition to raised beds so that I can continue to garden comfortably."

Michal Cole

"We've flooded 4 times in 8 years, many of the pleasures of life, such as gardening, get put on hold for more urgent recovery needs."

"It's not a unique story here in Houston...our home flooded, but what makes our situation unusual is that we've flooded 4 times in 8 years (though we're not in a "flood zone") and each flood was only a matter of inches (8", 6", 5" 2".) Still, it's enough to necessitate gutting the house, renovating and reshuffling the routines of life for long periods, and while much of this goes on, many of the pleasures of life, such as gardening, get put on hold for more urgent recovery needs.

It's been a long series of flood-recovery (repeat) to get to this point, but we are grateful that we were able to tear down the old house (Jan. 2023) and are on the later stages of building a new home (higher, with sitework to improve the way watersheds from our property...all supported by a new, higher capacity storm drain system in our area.) All that to say, we're in a much more hopeful place than we have been for quite a while.

Our new home should be finished by late summer/early fall and gardening is one of the pleasures I am looking forward to again. As we were searching for home plans, one of the main criteria was to reduce our home's footprint so that we could have more greenspace to enjoy. (Much of what is being built around us is going in the opposite direction.) Our new foundation is less than half the size of the previous foundation and we shifted the placement of it off-center so that we would have a much larger south facing garden area.

Along the south side of the house we customized our floorplan with a spacious porch and large windows looking out from the living, kitchen and dining areas, so our garden is intended to be enjoyed from both in and outdoors.

I discovered Gardenary.com as I was searching for garden design inspiration and your gardens kept ticking the boxes of what I liked most and would like my new garden to be most like. My goal was to be ready with a plan as soon as the construction phase is complete, but I'd never had such a spacious blank space to work with. It was a bit overwhelming, but your site was incredibly helpful in helping refine my garden plan. (In fact I wanted to enroll in the Kitchen Garden Academy 2.0, but I couldn't risk the wait.) I'm nearly finished with the "blueprint" of my new kitchen garden and surrounding landscape, but I would LOVE to win the contest for a Dream Kitchen Garden because I love the aesthetic of your gardens and whether designed by me or by you, I sooooooo look forward to time in my new garden.

Thank you for considering my entry. If you would like more views of the house and property for your consideration, I'd be happy to send more."

Lesli Ashworth

"With owning an old home that has caused large unplanned expenses - starting a kitchen garden has taken a real back seat."

"We moved into our home last year and quickly after had our first baby! I've dreamed for so long of having a home and a kitchen garden to cook from, and between welcoming our first child and a lot of unexpected.. hiccups.. with owning an old home that has caused large unplanned expenses - starting a kitchen garden has taken a real back seat. On top of that, we have a fairly small space with a lot of daytime shade. Having expert guidance on how to maximize maintaining space to play and explore for our pup and little one while fitting in a meaningfully sized kitchen garden that can grow more than just herbs would be a dream!!"

Laura Brittingham

"I'm a chef. The garden is a space that is mine to shape and craft, to experiment and play."

"I'm a chef and restaurant owner, and I find that my garden is my place of zen. A space that is mine to shape and craft, to experiment and play. I draw endless joy from learning about how different plants fare from year to year. I've been limited to a few small raised beds that I've tried to make as aesthetically pleasing as possible, but I could use some help. I eat everything I harvest, and feed my wife and dogs as well! A new kitchen garden would be an immense source of energy for me as a place of balance and calm."

Ben Pote

"I've worked in the Neonatal ICU for 17 years."

"I worked very hard for many years to save up enough money to fulfill my dream of becoming a homeowner. I wanted to find a home where I could feel calm and happy and possibly where my parents could grow old, closer to their children, even if that means living with me and me taking care of them.

I've worked in the Neonatal ICU for 17 years and although my love for babies (sick and sometimes not so sick) hasn't changed, the intensity has taken a toll on me. Well, I was blessed to find my little casita in the midst of the pandemic (2021) thanks to a lot of overtime shifts and patience during my home search. The house came with a garden bed that is a little overwhelming to manage and upkeep. I was unsuccessful in growing my trial of tomatoes and herbs last year as the scorching summer in Northern California didn't allow for much. I love following you on Instagram and I would be honored and oh so grateful to have your guidance in creating a beatgardenarea."

Carla Medina

" My 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis 2 years ago and my husband was diagnosed 16 years ago."

We moved to Alabama so we could afford to buy a home with somewhat of a yard knowing that we would want a garden. My 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis 2 years ago and my husband was diagnosed 16 years ago. Dealing with this disease means that we have to watch what we eat. Our goal is to eat organic as much as possible and grow our own food and herbs as much as possible.

Alexandra Fresh

"I believe wholeheartedly that the gift of this garden would fulfill not only a personal dream but a community need."

"We love our neighbors, and my dream has always been to have a garden where we could share our produce, flowers, and herbs especially with those who need them. Our community consists of single mothers, the elderly, and widows. I would love to teach my young son (7) and daughter (5) what it means to truly give with open hands, no matter the occasion. I believe wholeheartedly that the gift of this garden would fulfill not only a personal dream but a community need."

Emily McClain

"A kitchen garden is an opportunity to teach my children invaluable life skills."

"Sometimes life as a working mom can be overwhelming and draining. Introducing a kitchen garden would allow me a space of solace and rejuvenation. I also believe this space could be a place of healing. A healing space that not only helps to heal me physically as I am on a journey to trying to heal from Hashimotos naturally, but also spiritually/mentally as it would give me a sanctuary to meet daily with God.

But a kitchen garden is more than an escape; it is an opportunity to teach my children invaluable life skills. Together, we can sow the seeds of responsibility, showing them the importance of nurturing and caring for living organisms. Through firsthand experience, they will witness the miracles of growth, learning the significance of patience and commitment in achieving their goals.

My hope and dream is to turn my own personal garden into something that will serve our community. I am not sure what that looks like, but a space to provide others the opportunity to learn and receive rejuvenation from a place that can be so giving."

Victoria Dudgeon