Jenn is a passionate Horticulturist and entrepreneur who also likes to write about her activities on her blog. She loves to get down and dirty in her garden and is very keen on green and sustainable gardening.
She is very knowledgeable about nature science and shares interesting facts like - Vanilla planifolia is the only orchid in the world that produces an edible fruit, in her eBook. As a spin off to her gardening activity, she has created a line of body care products under the name "Garden Apothecary", offering sugar scrubs and water refreshers which are created with top grade organic botanical products.
She also runs a successful landscaping and garden designing business. Jenn was good enough to spare some time to talk to us about her pursuits.
Peruse the interview below:
Jennifer, please introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Jenn. I’m 29, live by the beach in CA and love everything to do with dirt, flowers bugs and the like. I have a landscape design company - Wildflower Farms, a garden blog - Dirty Girl Gardening, and a organic bath & beauty line - Garden Apothecary.
How did you get started with gardening? What inspired you to start gardening blog? Is there a story you want to share with us?
I started gardening with my grandfather when I was about 5 or 6. I remember watching him prune fruit trees (plums, lemons and apples) in their back yard in SF, and I was completely besotted. I quickly followed suit, trimming their shrubs with safety scissors. Throughout my high school years I learned flower design, I started farming (yes, driving the tractor and all!) and when I turned 18 I got a business license and started my landscape design company - Wildflower Farms. My garden blog - www.dirtygirlgarden.com - was a place I could go to write what ever I felt like. I didn’t have to be politically correct or write to a specific standard or for a specific audience. I love it... it’s like an online journal of the fun and follies of my gardening life.
Besides gardening yourself, you also design gardens and do landscaping projects for your clients. Explain to us how you go about designing / landscaping a garden?
Well, first I determine what kind of budget they have to work with. It makes no sense for me to design something my clients can’t afford, or have the energy to install - so that’s the first step. From there I identify the “problem” areas on their property... an oppressive tree blocking light, a dog digging everything up, a husband hacking back plants when he gets the urge - you know, things like that. Once we have the basics down, I can take the client’s personal style and apply it to the design. The designs are always organic and sustainable. They are functional and use the whole property, and above all are gorgeous and tangible. I’m not into creating untouchable, overly manicured landscapes. My clients come to me for lush, over-the-top abundance, color and texture. I also love to add a unique, funky element like an antique door, or chandelier hanging from a tree limb. An outdoor bath tub with chamomile bath mat.
Tell us something about your recently released eBook - ‘Botanically Belize’.
Botanically Belize is something I wrote after my recent trip to Central America. The whole trip was amazing and hilarious and packed full of adventure. Us gardeners think we are so “garden-y” and so hardcore into nature; this book shows you what it’s like when you have found yourself in a little bit too much nature. It’s just a fun, quick read with tons of pictures. If you are intrigued by cave exploration, Central American plants and farms, food, and adventure - you will love this book. It’s completely free and you can download it from my FB page
Alongside the blog you also have a store where you sell organic items, through Etsy. Can you tell us why you did not opt to use a shopping cart solution on the blog so that you could sell the items directly?
Hmm. Good question... I have no clue! Etsy is a lovely venue and I like having my shop items, policies and info all in one place and in a nice looking format. Garden Apothecary is a new venture for me so I’m sure there will be tweaks and changes along the way.
Let us do a rapid fire round:
Are you a tea or coffee person?
Tea!
What favourite veggies/fruits/flowers do you grow in your garden?
Love me some delicata squash and agave attenuata!
The best fertilizer according to you?
My chickens crap as they are scratching around in my garden. Mushroom compost is equally fabulous.
Favorite quote?
“Pimpin’ ain’t easy, but it sure is fun” - B.I.G.
What kind of music do you like?
(Hopefully that’s obvious) really trashy HipHop and Gangsta Rap.
If you could have been a superhero, who would you rather be and why?
I am a super hero.
What other sources of inspiration do you turn to for your gardening activities?
Champagne. Champagne is an amazing source of inspiration! If you haven’t gardened with a glass of Veuve Clicquot, please try it! Life changing! Ok, champagne and going for hikes in the redwoods are the ways in which I find inspiration for my gardening work.
What are the future plans for the company as well as your blog? Are you working on any awesome gardening or landscaping projects?
This year I am launching a new organic face cleanser product that is absolutely fabulous! I’m super excited about it and it’s my latest obsession. The blog is getting a facelift soon - with more detailed horticulture sections and awesome guest bloggers. And we are just plugging away as usual in the landscape design world... creating one lovely plot of land after the other for people all over the Bay Area.
What advice would you like to give to people who want take up gardening/landscape designing as a hobby or a profession?
Do it! Gardening is such a perfect hobby. You’re outside getting a bit of exercise and fresh air, you get to play around with gorgeous and interesting flower and plants, and you get to experiment with how things move and grow. It really is an ever evolving, interesting subject.
Thank you Jenn for taking the time for this interview; you are doing a great job with your blog. :) We wish you the very best for the future.
If you too love to read about gardening then you should checkout our earlier post on "The Top 11 Gardening Blogs".
Connect with Jenn at:
World is reach with natural resources, and those resources are very beautiful. We need to take good care of them.