Posts in garden design philosophy

Land Portraiture

I moved to my farm in Smith County from East Nashville. I don't think I ever once even noticed a bird at my house there, unless it flew into my window and died by the front door. I was a different person before this land got hold of me. Three years later, I still hadn't planted a thing — but the land had already started changing me.

garden design philosophy, Nashville Garden DesignClare HorneMarch 24, 2026land portraiture, garden design philosophy, site observation, pollinator garden, Smith County Tennessee, Nashville garden designer, Clare Horne, The Grass Girl

What Your Land Knows That You Don't

Most designers walk a property twice and hand you a plan. On acreage, that's not enough. Why designing for large land takes years — and what your property is trying to tell you.

garden design philosophy, Garden Design on AcreageClare HorneMarch 16, 2026acreage design, Nashville landscape design, estate garden design, Middle Tennessee, large property landscaping, land stewardship, rural property design

The Long Way Home

My title was Happiness Manager. I was the most depressed person in the building. This is the story of how I ended up designing gardens in Nashville clay.

garden design philosophy, Nashville Garden DesignClare HorneMarch 8, 2026Nashville garden designer, MFA artist, Nashville landscape design, The Grass Girl

The Grass Girl Blog

Notes on garden design, planting, and working with land in Middle Tennessee.

The Grass Girl

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE