Learn.
Your Personal Garden Coach
I am passionate about helping you experience the joys and rewards of gardening. There is nothing quite like the feeling of preparing a meal with food you’ve grown, or walking among the native plants surrounding your home, knowing you've created a space that is in tune with your local ecosystem.
Whether you are just getting started or you have been gardening for many years, as a certified Master Gardener with a lifetime of experience, I can help you achieve your gardening goals.
I’ll visit your home for one-on-one personal advice and training, and support you in your journey in the garden.
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Learn. Grow. Thrive.
What is a Garden Coach?
We help people design, plant and maintain their own gardens. Those who want to do it themselves, but need a little assistance. It's like having a personal trainer or business mentor, but for the garden. It's a collaborative process with personalized advice and hands-on training.
Coaches fill the gap between the basic weekly gardener service and the one-and-done installations by landscape companies. In the middle of that you are often on your own navigating how to manage your garden or landscape.
Garden Coaches are for anyone who likes to garden and has questions - new gardeners unsure of where to start, and experienced gardeners taking on a new project. There is always something new to learn, and a Garden Coach can help expand your knowledge and skills.
Are these your challenges? I can help!
"I don’t know where to start or what to do next."
You may feel that planning, soil improvement, knowing what to plant, when to plant it, and what can be planted together feels confusing and overwhelming.
"I can’t seem to grow as much as others."
Do you feel your garden doesn’t produce nor look the way you want?
"I don’t have enough time to garden."
Balancing gardening with work, family, and other responsibilities can be overwhelming. Your garden shouldn't be a source of stress but a refuge.
"Pests and plant health are so hard to manage."
Do you struggle to identify good and bad bugs, stay on top of pest control, and keep your plants healthy?
"My biggest problem is following through."
Does this describe you?... I buy the seeds or plants, but never actually plant them. Or, I plant them, but don't maintain them. or, I maintain them, but don't harvest. Or, I harvest, but then it just sits and rots.
Services
California Native Plants
Step-by-step support to manage turf removal and relandscaping, guidance on plant selection for new and existing beds. Bee and butterfly gardens. Support to reduce water use and maintenance expenses. Learn how to change your irrigation to a drip system and manage irrigation schedules throughout the seasons.
The glory of gardening:
hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.
— Alfred Austin
From My Blog
Bernard R.
I cannot recommend Joleen enough to anyone looking for gardening advise. She has helped with planting and treating my vegetable garden by email, with helpful illustrations! To me she seems to know everything there is to know to keep a beautiful garden.
Manisha P.
Joleen assessed my front and back yard, asked lots of questions, and more importantly, listened. She provided insightful recommendations to address issues that we’ve been dealing with for years, as well as for things we didn’t realize were problems. Within one consult, she was an advisor, teacher, provided encouragement, pointed out what was working and what wasn’t (and why), actively listened to our preferences and advised us accordingly on options. She has become my go-to expert on all things that grow!
Julie S.
I can always count on Joleen, she's helpful and knowledgeable to help me solve my gardening challenges. She came to my home to discuss my needs and concerns in-person. She followed up with additional advice and is now on call when I have an issue I can't solve myself. She fills the gap between the quick care gardener and the expensive landscape companies, so that I can feel confident to care for my garden on my own.