Gardener in Gurnee, Illinois

Formally trained by my Master Gardener mother, I began with four baby ferns from her garden. Many years later, I am still accepting her rejects. Each spring we crawl around on our hands and knees and gently uncover the space where it all started for her. Her hand-me-downs travel down the road in a wheelbarrow to my house where they can spread their roots. I began as a careful, nervous gardener with a pair of gloves and a shovel. Now I’ve got the itch like my Mother. I can hardly wait for the seeds that germinated on my windowsill to rise in glory from the earth each year. In a busy world filled with so many distractions, these little plots of dirt in our yards can become a place where we feel centered and peaceful. Gardening teaches us that in all the vast dimensions of love, the love for nature can open your heart wider than ever before. It can fortify and strengthen you, and can love you fiercely in return. To me, the most valuable thing that you can inherit from your parents is their deepest sentiments. I know that one day I won’t have my Mom around but when that day comes I know she will be a poppy or a fern waving at me through my bedroom window. In a world of boring lawns let me help you transform your outdoor space in to a paradise!