Hi there and welcome!
My name is Alison and I have a never ending passion for plants. My goal is to share the many secrets, tips, best methods and practices I have learned and mastered to improve your gardening experience and style.
As a former agriculture educator, I strive to further my own education and I truly enjoy researching plants, alternative methods, technology, and new trends; it is important to keep up to date to exceed industry standards. My search for unique, unconventional, and hard to find plants leads me on many adventures!
When improving your own garden space for beauty, meditation, perhaps as hobby or passion, we must also accept and that our space is intertwined and teeming with wildlife. Be mindful and see yourself as the steward of the land you inhabit and nurture. Some easy steps for a creating a well-balanced and wildlife friendly garden include practicing integrated pest management, encouraging beneficial insects, avoiding invasive or sickly species of plants and following the tried and true guideline of : Right Plant, Right Place!
I focus on incorporating:
organic and sustainable practices
plants that welcome pollinators and WILDLIFE
year-round garden interest From foliage to flowers
fantastic colors and textures
My STory
I am obsessed with all sorts of plants. Houseplants, shade plants, coniferous, moisture-loving and drought tolerant, evergreens, deciduous, fragrant, textural, floriferous, bountiful, ancient, exciting and enticing! I invite you to explore my pictures and projects. Now even more, I enjoy finding new and unique plants, testing them in my garden, and watching them succeed (or not!).
Since I can remember, I’ve always had my hands in the dirt and lucky enough, my high school teacher Lynn McKay inspired me to pursue a career in the diverse field of horticulture. I was obsessed with greenhouse growing, propagation, plant taxonomy and nomenclature, so I headed to Lake Washington Technical Institute and found the amazing Don Marshall. To pay for school, I worked at a golf course in the early morning hours. I learned the essentials of turf management and mowed every cut of grass. I transfered to Washington State University in Pullman and served as horticulture club president and greenhouse manager, and worked as field and lab technician for the USDA food crops and germplasm collection. I graduated with my teaching endorsement in Agricultural Education and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Food Systems. I had the privilege of running greenhouses and sales for horticulture/plant science courses, floral design, animal grooming, and pre-veterinary technician. As a FFA advisor I advised a floral design team and was involved in the Evergreen State Fair. I created new curriculum to establish Floral Design as art course at Monroe HS and leave behind that legacy. Someone asked, what would you do with ten thousand dollars and I immediately had an idea for using hydroponics and data collection; the Career and Technical Education superintendent assisted and my classroom was awarded a STEM grant.
My husband and I moved to Kitsap county over ten years ago and I found myself working at a wholesale nursery, growing hard to find perennials. I started my own business as Northwest Botanista in 2016 after establishing clients installing seasonal color in containers and garden design.
In 2022, Downpour Brewing in Kingston, Washington began hosting hands-on plant workshops. We’ve made succulent planters, floral arrangements, kokedama, holiday wreaths and more. Join the mailing list to receive updates on future workshops!
My goal is to share pictures of projects from work and personal garden experiences at home. I’m always digging and reinventing my space, and I can't wait to have the perfect retreat in my own backyard.
I encourage you to check out my blog and my store for latest updates.
Thanks for visiting!