Gardener in Driftwood, Texas

My design philosophy: I believe a home vegetable garden should be both functional and, for lack of a better word, fun. I specialize in creating one-of-a-kind, whimsical growing spaces for organic vegetables, that work in concert with their environment instead of against it. Along with the nutritional health benefits and food stability a productive vegetable garden can deliver, I believe it can also be a welcoming refuge for one’s mental and spiritual well-being—a space where you want to spend as much time vibing as you do weeding. My Methods: • Interplanting organic food crops with native flowers and other plants to attract beneficial insects and encourage biodiversity • Constructing garden beds and enclosures with natural, on-hand building materials (e.g. our native Ashe juniper cedar, limestone, old stumps, cool-looking rocks, etc.) • Avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in favor of practices that naturally build soil health and encourage a well-balanced, biodiverse pest/predator ecosystem (no-till bed preparation, cover crops, companion planting, crop rotation, etc.) • Employing water-conscious growing methods (e.g. wicking beds, drip irrigation, ollas, etc.) • Incorporating found/repurposed/salvaged objects (it’s not trash, it’s art!) My qualifications: • 3 years experience in home vegetable gardening • 6 months experience interning and growing food at scale at the Central Texas Food Bank’s on-site, organic farm (ongoing) • Certified in chainsaw operation, safety and tree removal by the U.S. Forest Service • Unbridled enthusiasm for all things gardening/farming related