For Scott and Tracy Valentine, creating their backyard wasn’t simply about chasing the latest landscaping trends. It was about designing a space full of life and passion.

 

Over the past four years, the couple has transformed what was once a muddy, minimalist backyard into a peaceful outdoor retreat. While Avon Landscaping established the base of the garden, the couple personally selected the plants, tweaking and editing tiny details as the gardens evolved. 

For the Valentines, their love of gardening comes naturally. Tracy is the Syngenta Vegetables Marketing Finance Controller for Solanaceae and Cucurbits, while Scott is CEO of Express Seed Company, a horticultural genetics distribution business. As an innovator, Scott turns parts of the landscape into trial gardens. He grows new flower varieties from global breeders to test how well they perform at home.

 At the center of the backyard is an outdoor pavilion overlooking the neighboring golf course's eighth green and ninth tee. Whether they're watching college football with a scotch and cigar in hand, or sipping a glass of wine, the pavilion is a perfect summer spot. 

The yard is always packed with bright, seasonal color. Some of their favorite flowers include SunPatiens, Sunfinity sunflowers, Vista Bubblegum petunias, Alstroemeria, and Sunbeckia. Landscape lighting keeps the gardens just as inviting after sunset, adding a subtle but warm glow throughout the space. 

Although happy with the finished project, Scott and Tracy know that gardening is never really done. Each season brings excitement, new ideas, new plants to try, and another opportunity to enjoy the outdoor space they’ve worked restlessly to create!