I have over ten years of experience working with plants. It all began in 1995, when I left my job at IBM to find a vocation that fit better with my spirit and body. My first venture was apprenticing in an organic market garden at Koinonia Farm, and I've never looked back. Thinking I might be a market gardener, I worked the 1997 growing season on an organic farm near Harper's Ferry. In 1998 I came to DC to help local non-profits to facilitate youth and community gardening projects. That eventually led to a position teaching horticulture at Eastern High School.
I started my own landscape gardening business in 2003, specializing in organic gardening practices. Over time, I have transitioned to emphasizing native plants and developing wildlife habitats. In 2004, I added interior painting to my business, primarily in the hottest and coldest months of the year. This has allowed me to do work promoting environmentally sound practices on a year-round basis.
I love being in nature and am continually increasing my knowledge of the plants and animals in this area through classes, personal study, and teaching others. My wife, Elizabeth, and I are transforming a large section of our backyard into a woodland garden and are amazed by the bird life it has attracted. I dream that someday there will be an entire network of wildlife-sustaining yards in our area.