I designed my first garden when I was 8 years old, using crayons, graph paper, and several of my dad's seed catalogues. Every year for many years after that, I would wait eagerly for the seed catalogues to arrive and create more and more elaborate designs. I am proud to say that more than one drawing made its way to a place of honour on the family refrigerator!
As so often happens, I grew up and grew away from many things that brought me joy as a child. I went to college, attended a few years of grad school, and then spent about a decade doing administrative and management type jobs.
The longer I did indoor, sit still work the unhappier I became. I needed a creative outlet, and I needed to be outside, and so I gravitated once more toward gardening. I decided to give Penn State's Master Gardening program a try, and loved it. After completing the program, I started working at a landscape maintenance company, where I learned how to prune, plant, and maintain a landscape from very talented and experienced gardeners.
Still wanting to learn more, I earned an associate’s degree in landscape design at Westmoreland County Community College, where I was taught to take a design from concept to reality. Additional classes and conferences at Phipps Conservatory introduced me to the importance of sustainable design, which takes into account the birds, insects, and other wildlife that rely on the plants in our yards.
Transforming a space that was underused and underappreciated into something beautiful is one of my favourite things! My goal is to create spaces that fit a client's lifestyle, but that also provide food and shelter for neighbourhood wildlife.