A little about me...

I see the world a little different from most.  When I'm driving or walking around and see beautifully manicured lawns and perfectly shaped hedges, I'm sad.  I think those sun drenched spots should be useful, not ornamental.

Don't misunderstand; useful doesn't mean unattractive.  I just believe there are other plants that should be growing in the place of lawns.  Imagine if gorgeous herb beds took the place of that stretch of grass. If fragrant rosemary framed the front of your home you could enjoy the look similar to box woods but have the added benefit of deterring flies and mosquitoes from your porch  (and door).  Pest control is just one of the ways rosemary shrubs would be a great replacement for the bushes that seem to be the standard in front of many homes.  You can use the stems as kabob skewers when you grill.  More herbs in your cooking translates to more flavor and less fat and salt needed to season your food.

I don't think all ornamentals need to be removed, just used sparingly, as accents instead of the focus.

My grandfather influenced my views when I was a little-bitty girl, barely able to walk.  His backyard was my favorite place in the world.  It wasn't too far from Atlanta but it seemed to be a totally different world. It was full of strawberries, limas, potatoes and a multitude of other vegetables.  Tomatoes edged his house and hens happily clucked around the backyard ridding the area of fleas and pests while depositing fertilizer.  His garden wasn't neat little rows of plants all grouped together, it was an experiment on what grew well together and how to keep it looking beautiful.  I don't remember him ever using pesticides.  Instead he taught me to make friends with the lizards, frogs and ladybugs.  He taught me that marigolds planted alongside the crops kept them healthy. He taught me that nothing tastes better than a strawberry fresh of the plant and warmed by the sun. 

My grandfather has long since passed away but his love of plants, hens and soils lives on in me.  I still have his old gardening hat and shovel and just like him, I always have dirt under my fingernails because I love the feel of the plants and soil and often forget to wear gloves.

That love is why I am pursuing a degree in Horticultural Science specializing in Organic Crop Production.

Gainesville is now my home and has been for a few years.  Raising crops here is different than it was in California, where I grew up, or Georgia, where I spent my summer vacations with my grandfather, but I am enjoying the climate, the variety available and most of the critters that live among my garden beds.