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5 TV Shows That Give Us Major Garden Envy
Ready, set, stream: These bingeworthy series will deliver a heady dose of green while your yard hibernates.
By: Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal
The inverse relationship of winter has arrived: Time spent in your outdoor paradise (aka your yard) typically shrinks, as hours logged watching TV soar. Escaping into the latest Nordic Noir procedural is all well and good, but sometimes, you want more than intricate plot twists. A show with pivotal scenes filmed in a lilac arbor or surrounded by espaliered roses can allow your inner gardener to dream about — and plan for — the coming warmth of spring.
You’ll find plenty of inspo in these TV green spaces, from European estates to New York townhouse gardens.
Outlander (Starz)
The Plot: Bagpipes, battles, brawny men, and one memorable century-spanning heroine. Outlander, a historical fantasy romance, follows Claire Randall, a 1945 WWII nurse who accidentally time-travels to 1743 Scotland. Claire falls into the protective (and very muscular) arms of Jamie Fraser — a hunky, kilted warrior who makes the 18th century look better than any modern convenience.
The Green Space: We’re partial to the scenes of Claire in her bushy, 18th-century apothecary garden, harvesting herbs like lemon balm, yarrow, and chamomile, to heal the sick. Filmed at Scotland’s Culross Palace, these scenes will have you yearning to tend your own little patch of medicinal plants come spring.
Stranger Things (Netflix)
The Plot: You probably already know the Stranger Things storyline unless you’re living a deeply unplugged life (and if that’s the case, kudos on managing your screentime so well). Sci-fi, horror, and 1980s nostalgia converge in a story about a group of young friends, disappearances, government experiments, and a horrifying alternate reality called the Upside Down.
The Green Space: Granted, it’s not exactly verdant in the Upside Down, where the land is covered in creepy vines and spores. But it’s inspiring plenty of people to give their gardens a goth twist with dark-hued plants, like black mondo grass, Hollyhock Black Knight, and purple millet, plus flashes of scarlet. If this mood speaks to you, go for it. Creativity doesn’t always have to be green.
The Buccaneers (Apple TV)
The Plot: The Buccaneers, a frothy historical drama with a dab of feminism, follows a gaggle of outspoken American girls as they crash London's high society in the Victorian era. Their mission: to find husbands and climb the social ladder. While in pursuit, they stroll through Old World grand homes and formal gardens on a monumental scale.
The Green Space: We’re partial to the endless lawns that disappear into the mist, dotted with mossy statuary and stone-walled spots for trysts, of the fictional Tintagel Castle (actually Scotland’s Drumlanrig Castle). But more realistic for the home gardener is the fictional English country estate Runnymede, where a romantic, messy garden overflows with roses and waist- high delphinium and foxglove sway in the breeze. “The cottagecore feel of those flowers with big, dreamy blooms makes it seem like love is in the air,” says Laura Janney, CEO of The Inspired Garden Masterclass. She says working with oversized, "juicy" blooms like peonies or English roses can create major impact in a small space. English-garden fanciers, take note.
Succession (HBO Max)
The Plot: Oh, Eldest Boy…How we missed you! Much like the real-life Murdoch family that inspired Succession, the younger generation of the Roy family is in full-bore battle mode, jockeying for power. If you’re already binged Succession the first time around, no worries: Repeat viewings are still galvanizing.
The Green Space: When the family hosts gatherings at their luxe Hamptons "summer palace" (filmed at the Henry Ford II estate), the aesthetic is Mogul Minimalism: razor-sharp boxwood, a koi pond, chic hardscaping, and massive, sculptural trees. Gardens like this “can be a reliable visual shorthand for high status,” says Shane Pliska, CEO of the botanical garden venue and floral production company Planterra. Imagine sitting there on a golden summer afternoon, gazing over lawns that meet the water — minus the toxic family backstabbing. If nothing else, seeing this setting may compel you to buy some new hedge trimmers to get Roy-level polish.
And Just Like That (HBO Max)
The Plot: The return of the iconic single ladies from Sex and the City, a quarter-century later, finds them as 50somethings, living fabulous lives but grappling with the drama of midlife. Whether you’re a “lovah” of the show or a hate-watcher of And Just Like That, the fashion and sets still make it good eye candy.
The Green Space: Our heroine, Carrie Bradshaw, now a wealthy widow (RIP, Mr. Big), has traded her iconic brownstone for a new home in Gramercy Park. The major perk? A stunning, stone-walled back garden, at first overgrown with sunny yellow blooms, which wind up being great groundcover for a teeming population of rats. If you’ve ever dreamed of ripping your yard out for a full-tilt do-over, this will speak to you, as Carrie and a cute landscaper design a sleek new outdoor room with stone, greenery, and a Zen vibe.
Hungry for Gardening How-To’s? Dig Into These
Sometimes, you may just want an expert to tell you exactly what to do. Level up your skills with these instructional series:
- Gardeners’ World (BritBox): A British classic sharing step-by-steps and garden tours, hosted by the iconic Monty Don. Don’t miss the glimpses of his own garden, Longmeadow; he’s responsible for every single plant, topiary, and brick walkway.
- Yard Crashers (DIY): Ready to rip it up? If a major backyard do-over may be in your future — even one with a firepit or pergola — this one’s for you.
- Grow, Cook, Eat (Amazon Prime, PBS Living): A pair of edible gardening experts show you how to go from seed to harvest to stovetop, no matter how little land you have to cultivate.
About the Writer
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal is a multi-platform storyteller with over two decades of experience spanning TV, digital, print, books, podcasts and radio. As a TV writer/producer, her work has been featured on Bravo, Peacock, CBS, BET and more. Her editorial bylines include The Cut, Parents, Slate, and Glamour, among others.