I design gardens that are beautiful and ecologically functional. I use native plants, broadly defined, that do jobs and solve problems in addition to providing habitat. My passion and expertise lie in public landscapes and their well-loved, much abused attributes as well as gardens that fully support a diverse array of pollinators.

After a decade managing a massive park and building out a large-scale horticulture operation, I have a lot to share about organic land-care, labour management, ecological maintenance practices, and landscape management plans, as well as ways to make gardens more inviting to people and hummingbirds alike.

I absolutely love to lecture. I love to share what I’ve learned and inspire people to garden in new ways. Also, I’m a bit of a ham. And for some reason telling stories about plants and butterflies is one of the things I was put on this earth to do. I have limited availability but am always happy to discuss possible engagements.

I currently teach at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the New York Botanical Garden but am happy to discuss teaching at your institution or to your crew. I have taught classes and workshops on soil science, pollination ecology, gardening for pollinators, integrated pest management, trees in the landscape, and weed eradication.

Each year, I work with volunteers and community groups to do one public pro-bono garden design and install operation. I design the garden, coordinate deliveries, train care-takers, and work with volunteers to plant. I’ve worked with public schools, libraries, and Quaker meeting houses. If you know of a public landscape in NYC or CT that needs a garden, please reach out!

Training and inspiring new gardeners is one of the most important things any of us can do. I am passionate about science-based explanations, effective protocols, and illustrative storytelling. I love to train people on the basics (watering, planting, weeding, cutback) as well as sophisticated techniques to encourage key species in the garden.