If you’ve ever dreamed of a garden that is brimming with beauty, history, and heart all at once, look no further than the stunning fence garden created by KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms. Nestled beside a charming white picket fence and bathed in Texas sunshine, this enchanting space is more than a garden—it’s a love letter to her childhood home.
A few years ago, KariAnne bought back the home where she was raised, bringing her journey full circle. Now, with her own family growing up within that familiar space, she’s planting seeds of new memories and traditions, starting with a fence garden that echoes the charm of an English cottage while standing up to the Texas heat.
So, what exactly is a fence garden? Simply put, it’s a garden bed that runs along a fence, using the structure as a backdrop to frame plants. Popular in cottagecore designs, fence gardens evoke that dreamy, overflowing look that’s both romantic and grounded in nature. They’re an ideal spot to add layers of plants—tall, mid-height, and low-growing—that soften a fence’s straight lines and add depth to the yard.
KariAnne’s garden does just that. She designed graceful, wave-like beds to curve along the fence, breaking up its linear form and inviting the eye to wander. The palette she chose echoes that elegance: soft pinks, creamy whites, and calming purples with happy bursts of yellow-orange courtesy of her Evergreen Stella™ Daylilies. The look is pure cottage garden—but tough enough to thrive in full Texas sun.
Layering was key to KariAnne’s planting strategy. She wanted shrubs with fantastic-looking foliage such as boxwood and Suntastic™ Pink Abelia for her cut-flower bouquets as well the structure they provide in the garden. Beautiful flowering workhorses like the Evergreen Stella™ Daylilies, Pink Moody Blues™ Veronica, Ever Sapphire™ and Ever White™ Agapanthus, and butterfly bush fill the space with color and the buzz of visiting pollinators. And of course, no cottage garden is complete without roses! The evergreen It’s A Breeze® Ivory Blush Rose is one of the many plants she chose that are repeat bloomers and love being snipped for bouquets.
KariAnne’s plant list includes tried-and-true Texas survivors—proving that you can have resilience and romance in the same garden. “I’ve been dreaming about the perfect garden for this picket fence in our backyard,” KariAnne says. “I wanted it to be one that was filled with butterflies and flowers and sunshine. I’m so happy with the way the garden turned out. It’s exactly like I pictured—but even better!”
As flowers bloom and butterflies dance along her white picket fence, KariAnne’s garden is more than just beautiful—it’s a joyful celebration of home, family, and the beauty of new beginnings.
