My approach
I am passionate about stewarding the land and all it’s living creatures from plants to protozoa. To me this means understanding the big picture (ecology) of how nature wants to behave,
working to cultivate living spaces that are conducive for both wild life and domestic life (“permaculture”). This approach requires education, experience and on going learning.
Sometimes being environmentally friendly goes against the norm and requires alternative solutions for landscape design and maintenance. I draw from ecology and science to build and optimize each individual ecosystem.
Conventional landscaping standards often flow contrary to how nature wants to behave. Such practices can result in an overly manicured garden which sterilizes the natural diversity and abundance of life. My goal is to create a well manicured habitat without hurting or destroying the important ecosystem that is your property.
Properly timed maintenance tasks, correct planting and selective pruning all preserve the appearance and health of all elements of the property. I believe we should interact and guide our gardens along by intentionally creating food and habitat for our beneficial bacteria, fungi, insects, wild life and the native plants. One example would be to delay Spring cleanup which preserves the balance of pests and predators and creates a robust and resilient garden.
Regenerative gardening practices, over time, create robust health and resilience in plants and systems which reduces the potential for major pest and pathogen infections resulting in a healthy, attractive, and life giving, low maintenance landscape. It’s not about perfection but a dance of reciprocity.
aubrie’s Experience
Gardening for me started here in Hendersonville when I was 16 years old, I was naturally very interested in the idea of growing food and being self sustainable. My mom and I would haphazardly throw a garden together and fight our free roaming chickens for the harvest. Right before graduating Highschool I discovered that my passion was growing food and flowers. I worked internships on six different organic/sustainable farms ranging from animal husbandry for meat & dairy/eggs to vegetable/fruit/flower production, and even agritourism. I learned so many invaluable skills from sow seeds in ground and indoors, growing in a greenhouses, transplanting , trellising, bed maintenance, harvesting, pest scouting ,pruning and how to operate CSA’s and farmers markets, the list goes on… After I completed my last internship I worked for myself as an ornamental garden assistant, stable hand and farmstead sitter while I went to school for my horticulture diploma and took Agricultural classes. I worked at Fifth Season Gardening Company assisting folks with their gardening questions and directing them to products. I then found myself drawn to garden designing when I worked for Gardens by Mardi in Asheville. I worked on the crew installing new designs and being meticulous about best practices maintaining the perennial and container gardens. Then I enrolled with NC state with their year started an online year long gardening certificate. My husband and I bought a home in Hendersonville and I began working for a garden maintenance company where I initiated offing my services as a designer. Then I realized I realized I wanted to start my own business. Now I hire a couple part time folks to help me as I manage being a mom and keeping my dream business going. I currently do all consultations and designs for the company and then act as the foreman for our maintenance services: directing and supervising as necessary. I feel grateful to be able to offer my expertise to the community !