Welcome to the dogwood den!

If you’ve ever walked past our home in Bel Aire, Kansas, you’ve likely seen us out here. Perhaps we were weeding a patch of clover, carrying an armful of fresh-cut flowers for the drying rack, or pausing to chat with a neighbor at the fenceline.

To many, this is just a backyard. But to us, inspired by the childhood magic of Miss Rumphius, it is our small way of keeping a promise to make the world a little more beautiful. It is an evolving sanctuary where native bees chase the morning light, where bouquets are grown to be preserved, and where every season brings a new lesson in growing sustainably.

But if you look closely at the trees framing our garden, you will find the truest heartbeat of this entire space.

This is a memory garden.

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” — Thomas Campbell.

Every time we have had to say goodbye to one of our beloved dogs, we have dug our hands into this earth and planted a tree in their honor. We realized that while their time with us is never long enough, their love could be transformed into something that deepens its roots, reaches for the sky, and provides shade and shelter for decades to come.

We named our space The Dogwood Den because of the resilient dogwood bushes that anchor our yard, but mostly as an ongoing ode to the companions who trotted alongside us through these garden beds, chasing birds and rolling in the grass. Bowser, Bella, and all the paws that came before— they are still with us, woven directly into the branches, the soil, and the birdsong.

We are not master botanists with a perfect, pristine landscape. We are learners, pairing old favorite blooms with new native species, discovering how to heal the earth right where we are. We hope you follow along with our adventures and endless projects. We hope to bring you along as we feature topics like garden design, plants & wildlife, sustainable practices, growing tips, lessons we’ve learned, tributes to our legacy pups, and oh so much more.

Whether you are a neighbor walking by on the sidewalk or a friend visiting us from afar online, we welcome you to our den. We hope this space brings a little beauty to your day, inspires you to plant something meaningful, and reminds you that the things we love are never truly lost—they just change form.

Thank you for stepping inside the garden!

J&J

In loving memory of our beautiful baby girl, Bella Marie. You are always in our hearts.

Photo credit:

Bowser - The Governor - “Govie” - who we love and adore. The inspiration for our legacy tree tradition.