A trusted source of information and inspiration for hundreds of thousands of gardeners. Erin’s down-to-earth approach, in which she shares successes and failures along with a healthy dose of inspiration and a bit of humour through videos, blog posts and social media, is a hit with gardeners.
Erin has been gardening for more than two decades in her southeastern Wisconsin (zone 6a) garden and is a master gardener volunteer.
She has received multiple awards from GardenComm, an international group for garden communicators, including gold medals for her weekly newspaper column and social media. Her garden was featured in the best-selling garden design book “American Roots” in 2022.
About You:
Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how your gardening journey began?
I grew up around family members who gardened, so when I got my first apartment after college I tried my hand at gardening on a small, shady balcony. Predictably it was disaster, but I’d been bitten by the gardening bug and it just grew from there.
I started gardening in my current garden in 2002 and continue to expand, tweak and re-imagine the space today.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in the garden?
Learning to adapt to the threat of invasive species such as emerald ash borer, which decimated dozens of trees on our property and changed the whole look of our property, and Asian jumping worms, which have caused extensive damage to the soil and plantings in parts of the garden, has been an exercise in patience and resilience.
What’s your favourite part of gardening?
The garden is one of the few places where a person can do whatever they want, without having to answer to anyone else (except perhaps the people you share it with). It makes it that much sweeter when things work out the way you envisioned and, when they don’t, it’s just another challenge to be tackled.
Garden Inspiration:
Tell us about your personal gardening style?
I am an admirer of all kinds of gardening, so I have embraced an eclectic approach that incorporates elements of many kinds of garden styles while still allowing for experimentation. I use repeated elements and plants throughout the space to make it feel cohesive even as the feel in a given area varies quite a bit.
Do you have any favourite projects you have worked on?
Every new garden expansion becomes a favorite, not just because it’s fresh and new, but also because I’ve refined my design style over the years.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next steps and exciting new plans?
The garden is now more than two decades old so many areas are in a period of refining, rather than re-inventing. It’s exciting to rethink a space but keep the best elements to create a design that better fits my garden aesthetic.
How do you choose what to plant each season?
I love discovering plants that are just a little bit out of the norm, so I always have a few special plants that I know I want to add, but that’s always balanced by a need to keep maintenance requirements low plenty of tried-and-true plants are always part of the equation.
Garden Design & Advice:
If you could pass one gardening lesson on to future generations, what would it be?
Don’t be precious about plants. If something is not serving you, either because it is not thriving or you just don’t like it, get rid of it and move on. Life is way too short and there are too many excellent plants out there to waste time growing things you don’t love.
How do you create year-round interest in a garden?
It is especially important to have interest throughout the year when you garden in an area with long winters like I do. In addition to bringing in structure with trees and shrubs, particularly evergreens or those with interesting bark, I like to use container plantings year-round to add in color and a fresh look every year.
Who is your gardening (or non-gardening!) heroes?
I am constantly inspired by so many talented gardeners and those who are responsible for some of the best gardens in the world, but I am particularly influenced by people who bring something new to gardening, be it a fresh perspective, new gardening style or a courageous approach. People like Roy Diblik and Fergus Garrett are on that list, but so are innovative container designers and those who blaze a trail of new gardening ideas.
