Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here!
Gardening has been a love of mine ever since I was in middle school. I remember begging my mother to let me create a vegetable garden in the backyard. It was April when I dug out a patch of grass and planted the seeds myself. Imagine the thrill I felt when I pulled my first carrot out of the warm, soft soil.
Every year my mother planted a mix of perennials and annuals in her garden beds. I began to share her love of flowers around the same time that I planted that small vegetable garden in the far corner of the yard. I started accompanying her to the greenhouse and nurseries in the area, learning all the different types of flowers along the way. I found I enjoyed digging in the soil with my mom’s spade to plant the pretty treasures we brought home. Mom and I frequently toured the garden beds in the yard together, noting the changes and talking about what we might do differently the following year.
Fast-forward to adulthood when I became truly obsessed with gardening. I planted hundreds of impatiens in the shady areas of my first Sears catalog kit home. My father had a passion for hostas and influenced me to add these delightful leafy beauties, as well.
Much to my delight, Lilies of the Valley sprung up around that little house, calling to mind the fragrant white bells that spread through my grandmother’s Williams Bay, Wisconsin home. A crystal clear stream meandered through her backyard. I remember playing in that stream as a kid, pretending to pan for gold with my brother while sifting through the sand to find small, glittery pebbles. We’d find little minnows swimming about and could catch them with our hands. I long dreamed for a stream of my very own. So it’s no surprise that a few years ago I had a garden pond with a small waterfall added to my current, circa 1875 Victorian cottage located in a growing village nestled on the last stop of the commuter train to and from Chicago.
My pond has taken my passion for gardening to a new level, enhancing my love of nature and the great outdoors. There is truly nothing more blissful in the garden than a koi pond with the delightful sound of a waterfall just outside the kitchen window. The water garden opened a whole new world of flowers and plants, from stunning waterlilies and lotus to fragrant aquatic mint and more. Not to mention the variety of butterflies and birds that flock to the pond for refreshment. In the spring, a chorus of frogs fills the air in the evening, creating the most beautiful and natural symphony. Sitting by the pond is a heady experience that invites you to slow down and enjoy the many gifts of God’s beautiful earth.
Join me on my continued journey of making life beautiful through the natural resources provided by Mother Nature. You’ll enjoy gardening tips, plant profiles, pond how-tos, and more. Let the stress and cares of the world slip from your shoulders as you create and tend to your own gardens. I never consider outdoor tasks as chores. Rather, it’s the most natural of therapies that enhances life in ways you never thought imaginable.
Pond and Garden is dedicated to my mother who planted the first seed of love for gardening into my heart and soul. She helped nurture that seed into a beautiful, living thing that grew within me to enhance every day of life. My father also guided my journey by answering my many questions about maintaining beautiful garden spaces.
A special thanks goes out to Aquascape, Inc., for the gorgeous pond they created in my backyard that nurtures me every day and brings great peace and joy in a sometimes chaotic world. Lucky for me, Aquascape is where I get to enjoy my days as a marketing communications manager to help others discover and enjoy the wondrous world of water gardening.
