Have you been to the grocery store lately and looked at both the prices and the quality of the produce? That was exactly what pushed us toward starting our own garden. Back in the spring of 2025, with prices continuing to climb and produce sometimes looking less than fresh, we finally decided it was time to try growing our own food.
Now more than ever, people are becoming more conscious about what goes into their food and how it is grown. Organic gardening, fewer chemicals, and healthier eating habits have become a huge focus for many families — ours included. We loved the idea of knowing exactly where our fruits and vegetables were coming from and being able to grow food right in our own backyard.
Ironically, the inspiration really started during one of those endless late-night TikTok scrolling sessions. Video after video began popping up on my feed about backyard gardens, DIY raised beds, and homegrown produce. What started as casual scrolling quickly turned into inspiration, and before long, we were seriously talking about creating a garden of our own.
The challenge for us was space. We do not live on a huge property, so we needed something functional without completely overtaking the backyard. At first, I looked at the classic raised garden bed ideas — simple untreated lumber, corner posts, and straightforward DIY layouts you can find at almost any home improvement store. While those were beautiful in their own way, we wanted something with a little more personality and charm.
Then came the TikTok video that completely changed everything. Another DIY creator appeared on my For You Page, and the second I saw the design, I was hooked. Full credit for the garden design goes to Shara and her incredible DIY Enclosed Walk-In Garden project. The design instantly stood out because it was not just practical — it was beautiful. It looked more like a statement piece than simply a place to grow vegetables.
Naturally, as soon as I fell in love with the design, I was already showing Joe and explaining what our next backyard project was going to be.
When planning your own garden, one of the biggest things to consider is the amount of space you have available. We decided to place ours toward the back of the property to give the backyard a bit of a glow-up while still making the space feel functional. Honestly, there is just something special about walking out the back door and seeing a beautiful enclosed garden waiting for you. It instantly transformed the feel of our yard.
Of course, every garden comes with its own learning curve. There are still finishing touches and improvements we want to make this year, and we will definitely share those along the way. But even in its current form, the garden itself became a centerpiece of our backyard.
Another important thing to think about before starting a garden is deciding what you actually want to grow and what your goals are for the harvest. For us, we wanted more than just a few vegetables here and there. We hoped to grow enough produce to enjoy throughout the growing season while also having enough extra to preserve through canning and dehydrating so we could enjoy it year-round. That made this enclosed raised-bed design the perfect fit for our needs.
One of the main reasons we chose raised garden beds was because of the soil in our backyard. Like many Wisconsin yards, ours has a heavy clay base that would have required a major overhaul to make growing successful. Raised beds gave us several huge advantages right away.
First — and probably most importantly — fewer weeds. If there is one thing I absolutely hate, it is weeding, so this was a massive bonus. Raised beds also allowed us to improve soil drainage and fully control the quality of the soil we were using, which gave our plants a much better chance to thrive.
As this blog continues to grow, we’ll also be sharing some of the tools, garden additions, décor pieces, and outdoor finds that have helped bring our vision to life. Throughout our posts, you may notice highlighted products and recommendations tied to different projects, ideas, and seasonal updates so you can easily explore the items that inspired or supported our journey along the way.
This garden started as a simple idea during a late-night scroll through TikTok, but it quickly turned into one of our favorite projects yet — and we are excited to continue sharing the journey with all of you.
