Projects
Kitchen Garden
I cared for this veggie garden with a focus on Northeastern heirloom varieties and coordinated a dedicated weekly crew of 10-20 volunteers. I changed the layout of the beds in order to accomodate a drip irrigation system, then installed and maintained the system so volunteers no longer needed to water by hand. At the beginning and end of each season, I held planning sessions with volunteers to decide on the varieties and quantities of veggies, and created a seeding schedule to make sure volunteers could harvest and take home veggies at the end of each work session.
Flower Beds
In some of these beds, first planted several decades ago, stubborn perennial weeds had become a challenge. In others, the balance of species had shifted over the years, leading to long stretches of time without any flowering plants. I transitioned these gardens from a lovely but high-maintenance mix of mostly introduced plants to more manageable areas, keeping in mind requests for exuberant color and dramatic seasonal change. I planted keystone species--native plants known to support an especially high number of caterpillars into gaps, added species found in abundance elsewhere on the property, and grew others from seed collected on-site. Making these changes over the course of regular maintenance visits meant I could monitor the gardens carefully, reserving plenty of space for clients' favorite plants, and selecting new additions with a strong understanding of garden conditions through extreme weather. And a focus on tough plants with long bloom times meant these beds also served as a reliable source of cut flowers for dedicated volunteers or homeowners!
Joyful Bare bones maintenance
For home gardeners or organizations working with a small budget, I assist in creating maintenance plans that feel do-able and, wherever possible, include native plants already on site. I provide support by doing hands-on gardening work, documenting what's working and what needs adjusting, and suggesting additional plants that support goals but don't stretch resources. These projects have ranged from creating a woodland garden, to collaboratively caring for a cut flower bed , to the selective pruning of shrubs in a dramatic, low-maintenance entryway.
