I grew up in Alaska where I developed a love of nature and being outdoors at an early age. Since then I've made a few hops down the west coast, starting with earning my B.S. in Chemistry at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Work took me to Seattle and later Portland, which has come to feel like home. I love the growing season here and am excited every year to get to work in my garden.

I worked as a laboratory analyst for many years in a variety of fields; water quality, brain research, blood processing, and food testing. For many years I worked specifically running tests for nutritional analysis of food, determining levels of nutrients like carbs, protein, fat, etc. I found that work rewarding, but my true joy comes from indulging my creative side. I love working with plants, figuring out how to arrange space in a practical and beautiful way, and the challenge of graphically representing existing and future landscapes.

In 2017 I completed an Associates degree in Landscape Design at Portland Community College while working full-time in the laboratory, design, or both. Now I put that degree to work as a landscape designer in the Portland area.

CURRENT AFFILIATIONS

Hardy Plant Society of Oregon

Association of Northwest Landscape Designers