About Me

My name is Shary Saunders, and gardening has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I remember distinctly when I was about 4 years old when my mom (may she rest in peace) first allowed me to play around in her garden with the green garden hose. She was busily tending to her prized orchids then, and I was hooked since then.

We had a 3-hectare farmhouse at that time, and a huge part of my childhood was centered around playing with my dad and brothers and our pet dogs, chickens, and cats, climbing trees, biking ‘til we’re exhausted, and yes, pitter-pattering behind my mom as she goes about her chores.

My mom was a great gardener, and she had the green thumb. What seemed impossibly hard to grow, she was able to without exerting much effort. She grew lots of perennial flowers and plants. She also had around five 100 square meter plots growing cabbages, pechays, lettuces, carrots, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, mongos, turnips, and a whole lot more, depending on the weather.

Growing up in the Philippines (my father was in the military, and he was assigned there until I was about 13 years old) where the weather is mostly on the tropical side, gardening is an all-year-round activity for the whole family, especially for me and mom.

Now, I am 29 years old and a Brand Manager of an exciting manufacturing company. Gardening is one of the major things that keep me grounded. It is a de-stressor of sorts. I live in Barrington, Illinois and even if my lot isn’t as big as the one we used to have during my childhood days, I make the most out of it.

Since I and my fiancé bought this house last 2013, I have managed to acquire hundreds of plants spread over around 300 linear feet of wooden fence. I mostly grow cherries, tomatoes, lettuces, and perennial flowers, and I have managed to indulge my passion for gardening even amidst my busy career life.

The main aim of my blog is to be able to share my passion for gardening with all fellow enthusiasts. I have learned quite a lot in all these years of tending to the foliage, and I want to as much as possible be able to document them and impart some useful tips to my readers in the process.

So… I hope that you enjoy my gardening ramblings and learn from my experiences. I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions, so feel free to jot me a note anytime at contact page or shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also follow me on Twitter at @sharysaunders

Happy gardening!