Thank you so much to all who entered our small garden contest — this was not an easy decision! But everyone who voted mentioned this small (tiny!) garden by Mary Heightchew. Why we liked it: Mary combined three simple elements into a tiny yet very attractive garden. She used hen and chicks that she thinned out from a different section of her yard and some rocks that were mementos from a family trip to Michigan in years past. “I remembered a forgotten dish in my gardening nook and “voila” — instant little garden!” she writes. This one inspires us to look around for the little elements that we may not be using, but that we could pull together to make something pleasing. Congrats, Mary!

We’ll share a few more entries for inspiration this week. Thanks again to Teknor Apex, the maker of the lead-free garden hose (Here’s a tip: we spied them at Target this weekend!) and everyone who entered.