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About Me

A garden/floral designer who has had a trowel in hand and dirty finger nails since I was four years old, I have over 30 years of hands-on experience. I am a writer, consultant, teacher, lecturer, beekeeper, and garden designer. I love to write about all my successes and failures (many of these!) of gardening. My designs have been featured in Wall Street Journal, Chesapeake Home, Style Magazine, and Garden Design.  My articles have appeared in The American Gardener magazine. I love to blog and also run a landscape/design build service, and enjoy cooking, volunteering, and playing with my animals. Yes, I like to keep busy!

My Designs

I was very proud to receive Best of Houzz, 2015 for my design of a waterfall and pond and worked with the best client ever on this project. Read about the installation at Transforming a Hillside Into a Backyard Oasis. More recently, I have received Best of Houzz for 2016 and 2017 for my labyrinth design.

Before and after of a waterfall and pond installation

Read about the process at Healing Labyrinth.

More Awards

I received a Gold Award from GardenComm on this blog in 2021.

I received a Merit Award for Design from the Perennial Plant Association in 2015.

Maryland Federated Garden Club and Central Atlantic Region awarded me the Robert Lewis Baker Memorial Award for an outstanding Educational Exhibit at a Flower Show in 2015.

Maryland Federated Garden Club awarded me an Award of Achievement for promoting Bee Friendly practices and developing Social Media to further their goals, also in 2015.

And in 2017, Maryland Federated Garden Club awarded me a Presidential Award .

 

Where Do I Live?

I live in Baltimore County, Maryland, which is a zone 6b.  I am surrounded by farms and horse country and garden on 2 acres. Maintaining bees, dogs, a large vegetable garden, a meadow, and fruit bushes, keeps me plenty busy and I also maintain a small greenhouse where I propagate plants and start my seeds.

I gardened organically and naturally long before it became popular and continue to garden with the health of the planet in mind.

Garden Coaching/Consulting

I work hard! I design gardens and become a general contractor when I manage a job, and I love what I do. There is another essential part of my job-Garden Coaching. I work with clients at all levels on the spectrum of gardening – newbies to pros.  From an initial consultation offering design suggestions, to a full design with installation and everything in between, I can help you have the garden that you have always wanted. Here are some great reasons to get a gardening coach:

I also do a few things that I really enjoy in the off-season, when I am not running around like crazy with landscape business, like decorating for the holidays.

In 2011, 2015, 2017, 2021, after being selected as a lucky volunteer to decorate the White House for Christmas, I spent a week working at the White House.  It was time spent with my hands full of cedar and beautiful ornaments decking the halls there. You can read about it here at Decorating the White House, 2011 and Decorating the White House, 2015.

Blogging Questions

I get a lot of questions on my blog and website. I do everything on my blog myself and use WordPress. I do some customizations, but I am really computer challenged, so I had to learn how to do everything the slow and easy way. It took me a long time to get comfortable with a blogging platform and I use another WordPress platform for my business web site, Claire Jones Landscapes, though I paid someone to do that. I do not contribute guest posts or accept advertising. I do test products and I will write about it if I like it. I receive no money from my blog.

If you would like to use my pictures, ask first! I usually allow it if you credit and link back to my blog.

 

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or contact me below. Join me at #bouquetoftheday on Facebook. 

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