how does your garden grow?

Sarah lives in Lincoln with her husband, Joe, and their four cats. She has been playing with plants both indoors and out for as long as she can remember. Her mother was an avid gardener and Sarah had her own corner carved out in her mother's garden by the age of three! I went to visit Sarah earlier this month to snap a few photos of her plants and flowers with the assistance of photographer Maranda Loughlin. Sarah's garden is an eclectic mix of plants and treasures tucked into nearly every nook and cranny. Just when we thought we'd captured everything, we'd find a tiny bloom peaking through green leaves, or a yawning gargoyle keeping watch from a window ledge. 

Continue reading for a few words from Sarah about her life as a plant lady.
 

What got you into gardening? 

When I was younger my mother was an active Master Gardener.
She was always tearing up part of our yard for a new flowerbed and taking us to garden shows with her. 
You could consider me doomed from birth.

What was your first plant?

The first plant I picked out for my garden was a Stargazer Lilly.
I've currently got a few planted by the spiderwort under the sunroom window.

What would you say is your biggest success as a plant parent?

Any time I can get one of my babies to bloom I consider it a success.
This was the first year my Silver Sage Salvia bloomed. Inside, my African Violets are doing pretty OK once I got them LED lights.
Flowers always make me feel like I'm getting it right.

What would you say was your biggest plant fail?

My family has had a climbing rose we've affectionately christened
"The Amazing Woman-Eating Rose" because of how out of hand it quickly gets.
It always ends up planted next to a gate or pathway and grabs out at you, I swear.
I've killed two starts of it in this yard. It does not like Lincoln winters

What does your dream jungle look like?

My dream jungle does not have any grass. Eventually the whole backyard will be flowers and whatnot,
with maybe a little room around the fire pit for chairs.
Joe is fine with it as long as he can get the grill to the patio.

Any advice to aspiring gardeners?

There's no such thing as an unkillable plant. You're going to kill some things.
Learn what you can't keep alive, pour one out for the dead ones and plant something else there.
I've learned not to bring ferns home. We all have our weak spots.