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.

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Before and after of a waterfall and pond installation

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Read about the process at Healing Labyrinth.

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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

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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:

  • Understanding the garden that came with your new home
  • Creating curb appeal for resale
  • Adding color to a blah landscape with seasonal interest
  • Adding a patio, water feature, paths, gates, arbors, pergolas
  • To draw a full plan to scale or a concept plan
  • Learning to maintain your garden by yourself
  • Picking out the right plants for the right spot in your garden
  • Editing your garden for maintenance and enjoyment

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.

White House

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.

My scarecrow surrounded by Nictotiana which reseeded

 

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

Labyrinth

32 Replies to “About Me”

  1. Claire, so glad to be a part of your “blog”……..great idea!
    I will stay tuned. Thanks for your input.
    Linda Tingle

    Reply

  2. Hello and thank you for visiting my blog and for your comment. It gave me the chance to explore your site. I especially enjoyed your take on Garden Bling, especially the topiary. Looking forward to more of your posts. Cheers!

    Reply

  8. Found your blog through Michelle at The Salem Garden. Have been enjoying reading your posts but the bee swarm picture makes me nervous! I’ve never seen one and can’t imagine the sound that must make.
    Anyway, I was wondering if you could give me any advice for a potting soil blend for my living roof on my chicken coop.
    http://theblondegardener.com/2013/01/20/chicken-coop-garden-shed-update/
    I have sempervivens and sedums to go on top and it is 4 inches deep. thanks for any advice!
    Brenda

    Reply

    1. Yes, I have been doing green roofs on birdhouses. Make a mix of 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 perlite. This is light enough for a roof but heavy enough to grow plants in. You use fern pins(u-shaped) to pin the plants into place until they root in.

      Reply
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  12. Wow, Claire this is a very impressive About Page. I feel like a bit of a slouch. How wonderful to be invited to decorate the Whitehouse. Interesting, we have a similar slope in our back yard, which is about as big as a postage stamp, LOL. Oh the possibilities 😀 We just moved in at the end of June 2014 and just enjoyed the yard as the previous owners left it this summer. But I’m sure I will put a personal twist on it next summer. I just popped in to say thank you for coming by and joining Boomdeeadda. I’m excited to follow you as well. Cheers!

    Reply
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  16. Very excited to read your blog and learn more about you! I am great friends with your cousin in Manassas, Va and she shared your info. I have a daughter who graduated in Landscape Arch in 2013 and works in Charlotte…. I know she will enjoy your blog too! keep you your energy and thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  17. I’m so glad I found your blog. I’m not much of a gardener, but I do love the flowers and plants. I read a few of your posts, and I’ll be back to read some more. It’s all so interesting. I’ve put a link to your blog on my latest blog post. I hope you don’t mind. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

    Reply

  18. found your site after ‘helleboris’ was highlighted – we have a terrible deer problem. they keep having more babies and the one mom has had 6 or more during last 8+ years; neighbor feeds them and they cross my property and devastate all I’ve worked so hard at …. now I’m 72 and researching deer resistant plantings. Your helleboris posting has me intrigued among other wonderful plants I’ve found. I want plants for bees – those poor things I feel for them. the deer just eat everything and they break my heart for the bees’ sake. The bees work for ‘us’ the deer just devastate. love your blog – looking forward to more info. cheers. and Merry Christmas. Going to find some Helleboris for sure.

    Reply

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