What Exactly Is Nostalgia Gardening (And Why You Should Try It)

There's a certain kind of garden that doesn't care for symmetry or polish. It's the kind that remembers. Martha Stewart's gardening tips can be helpful, and she likes this style, known as "nostalgia gardening," which is described as "lived-in".  It's a patchwork of flowers that feel less planted than inherited. These aren't the sculpted showpieces of design magazines but the blooms that once brushed your knees in the yard you grew up in, the ones that came back every spring, no matter who was tending them.

Nostalgia gardening invites a slower pace, one rooted in touch and repetition. Every sense plays a part — the color of blooms, the smell of soil after rain, the quiet hum of life between petals. Together, they build something familiar, almost instinctive.

And somewhere between the soil and the sentimentality, the trend caught on. Digging in the dirt became another way to touch the past — a familiar impulse not far from the one that's sent people back to family recipes and old-school desserts. It's worth trying for what it gives back: Quiet joy, easy beauty, and a reason to slow down outside. Just like nostalgic foods made a comeback, gardens are finding their own way home.

Part of nostalgia gardening's pull is how easy it is to make your own. You can build it around anything that stirs a memory — roses that remind you of your grandmother, lilacs that perfume the air like spring mornings, or lavender that hums with bees on warm afternoons. Scent does most of the heavy lifting. A border of jasmine, sweet peas, lilies, or peonies can turn an ordinary yard into something that feels romantic and familiar. Even the act of digging and watering can bring back flashes of time spent with loved ones — the simple rhythm of tending something that grows.

And it isn't only about what you plant. Worn-in details, terracotta pots faded by the sun, a chipped birdbath, or a few uneven bricks marking a path, add the kind of character that can't be bought new. A maple or magnolia with low branches can anchor the space, inviting the same sort of play that once filled childhood afternoons. Some herbs — like fenugreek — even improve the soil quality in vegetable gardens, showing that a little sentiment can be good for growth too.

In the end, nostalgia gardening isn't about recreating the past but keeping it close, letting scent, color, and memory do the remembering for you. It's easy to start, deeply personal, and gives back more than it asks.