About Me
Gardening Experience and Interests
I began gardening in 1999 in Spotsylvania, Virginia with the purchase of my first home. I have been an avid home gardener ever since. I particularly enjoy shade gardening and woody ornamentals. A few of my favorite plants are dogwoods, redbuds, viburnums, hydrangeas, native azaleas, astilbes, hardy geraniums, pulmonarias, pansies and violas.
In 2004 I moved to Birmingham, Alabama where I was an active volunteer at Aldridge Botanical Gardens in Hoover, AL. I volunteered at the Hydrangea Plant Sale, Fall Festival, and Greenery Sale. Additionally I volunteered as a Gate Greeter, a “house greeter” within Aldridge House, a Tour Guide, and assisted with maintaining the Gift Kiosk. I also joined the Alabama Hydrangea Society.
In 2006 I received my Master Gardener Certification through the Alabama Cooperative Extension. During my Master Gardener internship, I volunteered at the Gerlach Plant Information Center (GPIC) by answering the Cooperative Extension Help Line. I also helped develop a Master Gardener Directory.
In 2007 I moved to Rochester (Flower City!), New York. Yes, the home of the Lilac Festival. While renting a townhouse, I became very familiar with annuals, container gardening and expanded my houseplant collection. I joined the Fairport Garden Club and created their club website (www.fairportgardenclub.org). I also joined the Greater Rochester Perennial Society and the Rochester Civic Garden Center.
In 2008 I moved into my current home in Fairport, New York. I promptly fenced in the backyard and began establishing my garden beds. For the first time I owned a yard that allowed for some full sun gardening as well as shade gardening. I now enjoy baptisias, sedums, Shasta daisies, salvias and amsonias to name a few of my sun worshiping plants.
My husband and I also started a ‘square foot’ vegetable garden that has expanded square by square. I really love growing all kinds of peppers. And I especially love growing ornamental peppers. We started a three-tiered growing system in our basement and I grow most of my annuals and vegetables and a few perennials from seed.
In 2009 I completed the Rochester Civic Gardener and Pruning programs offered by the Rochester Civic Garden Center (RCGC). In 2010 as a volunteer, I began to be the administrator for their RCGC Facebook Page.
Also in 2010 I became certified (once again) as a Master Gardener for the Monroe County (NY) Cornell Cooperative Extension. I became actively involved with the Community Foresters group that volunteers one day a week at Durand Park working in conjunction with the Monroe County Parks department. I have also participated at the MG booth for GardenScape, worked at the MG Plant Sale during the Lilac Festival, and answered calls on the ‘Ask a Master Gardener’ Helpline (585-473-5335).