A fifth-generation gardener from Bailey Nurseries takes a make-it-fun approach.
Minneapolis—Are you a Martha, a Kelly or a Tommy?
Garden guru Ryan McEnaney uses those three gardening personalities (based on real people) to help you determine your gardening style.
McEnaney, a member of the fifth generation working at his family-run Bailey Nurseries, says gardening should be fun. And that’s the approach he takes in his recently released book, “Field Guide to Outside Style.”
We talked with McEnaney, who left Hollywood to come back home, about how he teaches others to tackle their gardens, his personal landscaping style and more. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How did the book come about?
A: Unintentionally. When I started back at Baileys, people would call for advice—they had a space in this corner of their house or this area in their house. So I was telling them what could be planted where, about the growing conditions and what would look beautiful. I also honed in on gardening styles and things like using patterns and textures when designing with plants. And it went from there. It’s been an incredible learning experience putting all of that on paper.
Q: So, how does one figure out their garden style?
A: I start the book talking about fashion and furniture and architecture because I do think your outdoor space can evolve from those influences. If you read an in-depth design book, it can be overwhelming, so I break that down with these three archetypes.
Martha is a classic beautiful cottage garden. (It might be inspired by Martha Stewart.) Kelly is a more naturalistic design with intentional wildness that is going to be a little more prairie-esque and dense. It’s inspired by an author and dear friend Kelly Norris, who lives in Des Moines. Tommy is a West Coast style inspired by landscape architect Thomas Church. He made that modern, clean-lined look pervasive in California.
