Martha Stewart has never been the type of gardener to think small. While most people plant a few herbs or add a flower bed here and there, she often takes an idea and runs with it. What starts as a simple garden project can turn into rows of lavender, a massive vegetable garden, or an entire space devoted to a single type of plant.
At first, some of her ideas can seem excessive. Many gardeners would look at the scale, the effort, or the commitment involved and decide it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Martha tends to do the opposite. If she believes something will be beautiful or useful, she goes all in.
Time after time, those bold decisions have become some of the most memorable parts of her properties. Here are six gardening moves Martha Stewart made that most people wouldn’t attempt, and why they turned out so well.
1. Turning a Simple Herb Patch Into a Fragrant Destination
For most people, an herb garden means a few pots of basil and rosemary near the back door. Martha took a different approach.
Instead of a modest cluster, she created a generous, thoughtfully planned herb garden filled with lavender, thyme, rosemary, sage, and layers of seasonal varieties. The space isn’t just practical; it’s immersive. Walking through it engages every sense, from the scent of crushed leaves to the soft hum of pollinators drifting between blooms.
What could have been a small utility space became one of the most sensory-rich areas of the property.
2. Reviving a Greenhouse Instead of Buying New
A standard greenhouse would have done the job. But Martha chose to restore and repurpose an older structure, integrating it into the garden rather than treating it as an afterthought.
The decision extended her growing season and allowed her to cultivate delicate plants well beyond their usual window. It also became a striking visual element, full of light, structure, and quiet productivity through the colder months.
What sounded like an ambitious undertaking became an essential part of her gardening rhythm.
3. Making Space for the Pollinators
It would have been easy to focus purely on visual impact. Instead, Martha intentionally incorporated pollinator-friendly plants such as milkweed and echinacea.
The result is a landscape that feels alive. Bees move from bloom to bloom, butterflies settle briefly before lifting off again, and the garden becomes more than ornamental. It becomes part of a living system.
The choice may not have been dramatic on paper, but it transformed the space’s atmosphere.
4. Going All In on Lavender
A small lavender border is charming. Martha planted sweeping stretches of it.
When the plants bloom, the air carries their unmistakable fragrance, and the garden shifts into soft waves of purple. It’s bold and immersive the kind of commitment that turns a single plant into a defining feature rather than an accent.
What might have seemed like too much lavender became one of the most memorable sights on the property.
5. Committing to a Formal Boxwood Design
Boxwood gardens demand consistency. They require precise trimming, patience, and a clear vision.
Martha embraced the discipline. Carefully shaped hedges form structured patterns and grounded pathways that balance the more exuberant plantings around them. The clean lines add order and elegance, giving the garden a timeless presence.
It’s high maintenance, but the payoff is a sense of refinement that elevates everything else.
6. Creating a Pond That Feels Like a Sanctuary
Instead of installing a modest water feature, Martha designed a pond that feels like a retreat within the landscape.
Layered stonework, floating water lilies, and brightly colored koi create movement and reflection. The water introduces calm in contrast to the bold plantings elsewhere, offering a place where the garden feels quieter and more contemplative.
What may have sounded indulgent at first became a grounding centerpiece, proof that sometimes the boldest ideas are the ones that bring the most balance.
