About

Hello – my name is Gayle.

I am not very  comfortable writing about myself, but I guess I should tell you a little bit about me and why I’m here. I’m not exactly sure myself , so here  goes.

Nature has always inspired me – its patterns, colors , the way it all moves and changes minute to  minute.

How lucky was I as a kid to  grow up within a farm family and spend so much time outdoors at play. Work was even play  or , at least  , I thought so.

I was blessed with  hard working parents – a wonderful farm dad, a loving mom who worked right along side him ( she was an amazing cook too ) ,   hysterically funny  grandparents living  next door  and  three loving  siblings (well,  most of the time ). I spent many hours  walking around  that farm with my great Uncle Les who would say to me most every day, ” Learn something every day. Think good thoughts. Good thoughts are key. ” I still  have and cherish his letter to me when I first went off to college, and he ended the letter with that very same sentence. ” Good thoughts are key. ”

I miss these people.

I grew up in the family business ( farm and garden ) , had a meltdown ( a good one ) as a teenager. Just wanted to get out there on my own, not angry just curious. Dog gone it ! – I was going to become a New Yorker ! Into the city I went  attending F.I.T. to study fashion design/ buying and merchandising . I wanted to be surrounded by fashionistas and designers and perhaps become one myself.

Well, little ol’ me didn’t really get along in N.Y.C.- not at first anyway .  In time though , that city opened my eyes to a different side of  nature .  Deep  within the concrete,  dank  subways , the hustle  of the streets there she was, just dressed differently -a whole new set of patterns, textures,  and designs to be inspired by.

So  I did not become a fashion designer , but what school and the city did for me was to foster an appreciation for all sorts of design – textiles, interiors ,landscape design. I came  around full circle back  to the outdoors, working at the garden center, expanding on the concept of bringing the outdoors inside the home through interior design. I had found my niche.

My husband, Michael , and I now live on our own little farm in Vermont.  Our beautiful daughter , Kate , ironically IS a New Yorker  and very much a creative soul herself.  We had started a home and garden center business here  years ago  and continue to run organic  greenhouses .

My wish would be  is for this site to become a shared creative space inspired by nature and her ability to feed us – mind , body and spirit.

So here’s to a journey filled with  gardening, cooking , landscaping, and designing outdoor spaces together.

To learn something every day  and share good thoughts.