Great Gardens

As you embark upon implementing your New Year’s resolutions, consider finding peace in your own backyard — quite literally. “Gardens don’t need to be palaces for the ego,” notes Bill Schnetz of Schnetz Landscape. “Keep ’em simple and soulful.” With 36 years in the business, Schnetz thinks back to when he first started out: “A little old lady, blind, led me hand by hand, touching the plants and saying what each one was. Her garden was a spiritual place for her.” Throughout horticultural school, Schnetz found himself renovating “gardens that didn’t have a soul,” and calls what he does “garden detailing.” Make the efforts to create a space that feels good to be in. (760/591-3453, www.schnetzlandscape.com)    MIA STEFANKO