My name is Marlene. I’m a Graphic designer, mom to three fantastic children, two dogs and two cats. I’m a seeker of knowledge and a gardener at heart. These are not necessarily in order of importance.

This blog is dedicated to my love of nature and all things that bloom beautifully in their own individual way…in the garden and in life.

Gardening can be complicated, but I’ve learned over the course of my  15 years of designing graphics for various garden industries, that it doesn’t have to be hard. I don’t have a green thumb (I prefer nail polish to grass stains), I don’t have the best garden tools or the best looking landscape at my home in the suburbs. My tomatoes have failed, my hydrangeas didn’t bloom this year, my rose bush is begging  for a new location and sometimes I look at something sprouting in the spring and I have no idea what I planted there. However, my lavender is stunning, my hostas are happy, my containers are always in seasonal bloom and my tulips look just as pretty in my vases as they do in my landscape. I’m a woman with a great love of all things that grow and bloom, as well as those that fail and require a ‘do-over’…in the garden and in life.  I’m always looking for a simpler way. I think relationships parallel the gardening process. It takes time, love, sunshine and patience to grow a garden and raise a family.

Life, whether it’s the flowers in the garden or the people in my house, will grow whether I’m ready or not. I’m not a superhero garden expert (but I do appreciate those who are) or a perfect parent/wife/friend, however, I have a pretty darn good sense of humor, thick skin (most of the time) and a great deal of curiosity.

Welcome to my blog, where growing is simple and life is imperfect.