Southern Living just unveiled its newest Idea House, and the landscaper behind it is sharing how he designed a garden that gets better with time.
It’s no secret that we absolutely love a good show home here at Real Simple—after all, we do one every year! So when our sister brand Southern Living recently revealed their latest Idea House in their September issue, we were so excited to check out the gorgeous property. The 2025 Southern Living Idea House is a 4,500-square-foot home located in Keswick, Virginia, and it’s filled to the brim with brilliant design ideas.
While the interiors are absolutely stunning (and had us asking when we can move in!), what really had us hooked was the landscaping, which was completed by Eugene Ryang of Waterstreet Studio. Ryang transformed the property with more than 1,700 plants—over 140 native species in all—while still honoring the natural terrain.
The five-acre site, nestled in the woods by a lake, feels like a “modern homestead,” with orchard plantings, a vegetable garden, and a native meadow for pollinators. The meadow may be young now, but it’s designed to evolve into a vibrant, ever-changing haven filled with wildflowers, butterflies, and bees.
According to Ryang, it’s a garden that matures, deepens, and becomes more beautiful with every season—his vision was a “lower maintenance” design that thrives over time. As he discussed his plans with us, he shared plenty of lessons for creating a garden that doesn’t just look good on day one, but only gets better year after year. Here are three takeaways you can work into your own yard…