I can think of no better form of personal involvement in the cure of the environment than that of gardening. ~Wendell Berry
I have often likened the creation of a garden to the process of composing music. They both evolve over time, are filled with color, movement, and sound, and each performance is never quite the same. For the last few weeks, I have been toiling over a second Before and After video of my garden, the front of the garden that is open to all wild creatures. 
After I completed the video, I realized how similar the creation experience was to composing a complicated piece of music. Putting together a video that shows what can be done over a period of years means gathering 25 years worth of materials and creating a story that makes sense out of them, one that will not only illustrate the journey but hopefully inspire others.
The property line in 2001, adjacent to the neighbor’s driveway.
The same view in 2024, replanted in a naturalistic style to support pollinators and wildlife.
But a 25 year collection of photos and videos is massive – sorting and choosing material quickly led to overwhelm. This wasn’t just about designing a pretty garden, it also was a complicated tale about creating a habitat for wildlife that evolved over time to support the life within it. With so many possibilities that could tangle the story, I realized that I could streamline the process just as I do when composing a complex piece of music. Narrow the scope, figure out the true story line, and keep it limited to just a few themes. What worked for composing music also worked for creating garden videos – the same process, different materials. Apparently, creating a garden video is also akin to creating a garden and composing music!
Here’s the final video – I hope you enjoy it, it has become one of my favorites. Special kudos to my husband Bill for recording my voiceover- he’s the best.
Spring is here, the snow has melted, flowers are finally in bloom and the birds are singing. Enjoy the season of new awakenings.
©2026, Lynn Purse, All Rights Reserved except where noted
composerinthegarden 
I absolutely LOVE this! Wildlife, garden and natural landscape composition, home of birdsong, and of course, Pixie — all my favorites! Thank you so much for sharing!😘 MRy
Thank you Mary, so happy you enjoyed the post and video, and Pixie thanks you too! My pleasure to share my beloved garden.
Your video mentioned a couple of books about creating gardens: with all the knowledge you’ve acquired, as this video makes clear, have you considered a book of your own about creating gardens? Similarly, how about a book or video that teaches people how to make videos that document long-term projects?
Funny you should ask, Steve, and thank you for thinking well of me in that regard. I’m in the middle of creating my own online garden courses over the summer as I am trying to build my garden teaching and speaking business – YouTube is a big part of it. I am teaching a course at Phipps Conservatory next month on how to create garden videos – it’s a fun class that I’ve taught before and I may develop an online course on the topic as well as a DIY garden design class. As far as a book project – I have too many irons in the fire right now but in the future, who knows?
I thoroughly enjoyed your soothing garden landscaping journey. Thank you and congratulations on your garden. 🌿🌺🍃🌸🌱🦋
Thank you so much, Caroline – the garden is my happy place.😊
Hard work has its rewards. There was a point when you thought to stop either gardening or posting about it, I’m so glad you decided to continue. Best wishes on a happy and fulfilling garden year!
You’re right about that Kate. I too am glad that I decided to continue, I’ve never been happier. Wishing you a wonderful 10th anniversary garden year!
You are a fabulous designer, Lynn. Your work is beautiful and you’ve created a haven for wildlife, a marvelous transformation over what was there.
Thanks so much, Eliza. This part of the garden is so much more challenging but definitely worth the effort, I do love seeing the wildlife every day.
I certainly did enjoy the trip through your garden. Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to make such an excellent video, and kudos to the sound engineer too.
So glad you enjoyed it, tootlepedal – my husband was also pleased to be recognized.😊
Absolutely fascinating, Lynn! You did an outstanding job with this video. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Is this the longest video that you’ve produced?
Hi Kerry, thank you! It is the second longest video I’ve done. I’m trying to make more videos in the 10-12 minute range now – they allow for more in- depth exploration of a subject, but of course they take longer to do, at least the way I make them!😄