Blog – Page 2 – Janet Mavec

Leslie Harris: The Garden 'Splainer

It’s funny how the most inconsequential events can send life in a different direction. For example, because Leslie Harris’ first baby was such a good sleeper 35 years ago, Leslie is now a garden design consultant and host of her own podcast “Into the Garden with Leslie.” That baby’s love of a nap gave Leslie, who was on maternity leave, free time to putter in the garden, and develop a deep love of it. Continue reading

A Bright Bulb in the Garden State: Sam Rothman

There aren’t many days when Sam Rothman is able to just “patshke in the garden,” as she says. Professional floral-farmers need to find other outlets for patshke-ing. To fill New Jersey’s vases with blooms requires flora focus, and a little magic. Continue reading

Linda Vater: Living a Garden Inspired Life

In the springtime, you can see the result of Linda Vater’s addiction: 800 tulips pop into colors in her garden. Cars roll by to ogle. “In high school, my gateway drug was houseplants,” says the Oklahoma City resident. She eventually crossed over to outdoor plants, became a self-taught garden designer, then a plant advocate, ambassador, and spokesperson. Continue reading

All Fired Up: Q&A with Ceramicist Frances Palmer

Frances Palmer’s hands are always busy—whether she’s spinning her world-famous pottery, arranging colorful bouquets from her own cutting gardens, baking cakes, or, most recently, writing a book.

The Plant Nut: Jospeh Marek

For most of his young life, Joseph Marek grew up rootless, in plant speak. With a military dad, the family moved every three years or so, from regions as varied as South Texas and Alaska to the German Rhineland and Tidewater, Virginia.

Down to Earth: Christina Chrobokowa

When designing outdoor spaces, Christina Chrobokowa takes her cues from one of the strongest and wisest voices of all: Mother Nature. Continue reading

Charlotte Moss Flowers

Writing a book has often been compared to birthing a child. Let’s take a moment then to appreciate that interior designer Charlotte Moss’ 11th was born on April 6, 2021. The subject: flowers—their colors, scents, shapes, and attitudes that can tszuj up a party or everyday living.

A Gem in the Garden: Jennifer Jewell

A riddle: What’s showy, full of bounce and vigor, praised for its beauty, occasionally high-maintenance ... depending on the type, and, in the worst of circumstances, merely possessed as a status symbol? Answer: a garden. Continue reading

Dealer in Dreams: Q & A with John Danzer

Josephine Nuese, who wrote “The Country Garden,” once said, “January is when gardening really begins, with the dream,” requotes John Danzer. He founded Munder Skiles, a well-known outdoors furnishings company that...

A Garden in the Clouds: Abbie Zabar

Since the pandemic, our worlds have shrunk quite a bit ... to the confines of our walls, which could be trying in a street-life-focused city like Manhattan. But not for Abbie Zabar. Solitude is a state she cherishes, thanks ...

The Horticultural Therapist is In: Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santigo

Feeling a little trapped in these times, or a bit stressed? Go into your garden.That’s the prescription from Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago. “Plants and gardening are tools for wellness,” says the founder of Agrochic.com who al...

A Garden Preservationist Explores Chicago’s North Shore

Gardeners have a name for people like Benjamin Lenhardt: a dual-zoner. Flowers envy the life, and so do we. He splits his time between Zone 5B and 8B (Winnetka, Illinois to Charleston, South Carolina). The dual-zoner also ha...