Ina Garten Pursued for Decade to Have Dream Home with Herb Garden Where She Lives with Spouse of 54 Years

Ina and Jeffrey have been together for 54 years and the romance is still alive. They decided not to have kids, which made their relationship stronger. But even they could not avoid disagreements, and divorce did not look like an unlikely possibility anymore. Hard work paid off because now they live happily in their dream home.

Cookbook author Ina Garten and her husband Jeffery have been married for 54 years together for almost six decades. The long-time couple met when Garten was visiting her brother at Dartmouth College in 1968.

The Food Network star was 15 then, and Jeffery was 17, and it was love at first sight. After seeing Garten, Jeffery made a move and sent a letter and photo of himself to her house.

The "Barefoot Contessa" star was more than delighted; she told People that she remembered running to her mother and gushing over the cute boy.

The couple got married on December 22, 1968; Garten was 20, and Jeffery was 22, but the author explained that she chose to marry young because she felt great with her husband, trusted him, and loved that he had good values.

Getting married young and growing old together can come with many changes, but Garten said she and Jeffery combatted any conflict by being honest about who they are and what they want. She said to People, "We have never been manipulative with each other."

Garten also expressed how supportive her husband was of her career. She shared that when she told Jeffery, she wanted to move to New York to open a food store, he was more than willing to move his life for her success.

The cookbook author praised her husband and said he was the man every woman wanted, "supportive, adorable and funny." Garten said, "He knows that he's the most important thing in my life, and I know that I'm the most important thing in his life."

For over five decades, it has only been Garten and Jeffery; the couple decided early on in their relationship not to have children. The "Cooking for Jeffery" author said she was grateful for it because life without kids has given them all the freedom they wanted.

Additionally, Garten expressed that they have been able to focus on each other and do not regret choosing to do life as just the two of them.

How Ina Garten Finally Got the Work Space of Her Dreams

Garten's interview with Oprah Daily said she and her husband bought their East Hamptons home in the 90s. However, when Garten got the opportunity to have her cooking show, "Barefoot Contessa," on Food Network, she confessed that the filming crew took up every inch of her house except her bedroom.

So the couple only had their bedroom to escape work which did not work for Garten. She said she needed to find a space to work and create recipes, or Jeffery would have divorced her.

But luckily for the couple, they had already planned ahead. Garten told Oprah Daily that they purchased their East Hampton home with a right to first refusal clause, which meant they got first dibs if their neighbor decided to sell their property.

Garten confessed that she had been eyeing the open field next to her property for a while, and every year for ten years, she wrote a letter to the owner asking if they were ready to sell.

Eventually, the Food Network star purchased the open field and built a 2000-square-foot barn, stated Oprah Daily. Architect Frank Greenwald reportedly designed it.

The work space was turned into a cook's dream. It has a fully equipped pantry with plates, cutlery, props, and room for her successful cookbooks,

The barn has big windows that make the room feel light and airy, not to forget the beautiful limestone counter space perfectly contrasts with white cabinets.

The room also has vintage furniture to match the rustic barn, as Garten specifies, "there's also an 18th-century Swedish trestle table" which the food enthusiasts used as an office during the pandemic.

Garten could not be more excited to have her working space equipped with its own refrigerator, stove, pots, and pans that all mimic her kitchen.

The barn turned to everything Garten wanted and more. The culinary pro said, "Every day, I walk in here and think, I can't believe I work here."

To finish off the barn Jeffery surprised his wife with a painting from one of Garten's favorite artists, April Gornik. "The Barefoot Contessa" star told Oprah Daily how it all came about.

Garten decided to take her husband to Gornik's gallery because he was unfamiliar with her work. As the couple browsed the gallery, Garten said she fell in love with the artist's work on the Namib Desert.

Suddenly, Garten heard Jeffery say, "I just bought that for the barn because it really belongs there." The culinary star said she was shocked because she did not even think they could afford it.

Fifteen years later, the painting still hangs in the barn and is one of Garten's most priced possessions. She is grateful that her husband made that purchase for her.

A Look inside Ina Garten's Scenic Herb Garden

Garten's home has one of the most beautiful gardens. The food expert gave her Instagram followers a look inside, and fans could not stop praising the garden.

She started the tour from what Garten called her "shade garden" as she walked on a graveled path framed with ferns and crepe myrtle trees which give it a bit of structure, explained Garten. The trail led to another walkway with stone slabs and a vine-covered arch that took you to a massive herb garden.

Garten showed her followers the tomatoes she was growing, and the range of herbs, sage chives, thyme, tarragon, and the list continued. In all the greenery surrounding the garden, Garten also has white roses and a lot of lavender, giving it a bit of color.

Before moving to New York and becoming Food Network's sensation, Garten reportedly used to live in Washington D.C and worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

But when she was not on duty, Food Network reported that Garten used to throw the best parties. She would plan out the menus weeks in advance, and her guests would have fun and enjoy good food. Jeffery said people still talked about her parties to this day.