Place of Residence: Fairfax, Virginia

Background and Personal History: Brenda grew up in suburban Washington, D.C., went to college in Pennsylvania, and traveled the world before returning the to Virginia suburbs to start a life with her young family. Excited to finally put down roots, she discovered a yard filled with hard clay, stones, and poorly laid sod. Little by little, she and her family removed grass, amended soil, and replaced invasive weeds with native plants. The backyard is now a wildlife habitat, where the family grows vegetables in raised beds year-round. Brenda cooks with only seasonal ingredients from her garden or local farmers markets in spring, summer in fall. She does her best to preserve enough to carry the family through winter, while growing cool-season crops in a cold frame.

Creating an eco-friendly, beautiful landscape is an ongoing effort and constant learning experience. Above all, Brenda has learned that what we plant and how we care for our land effects every living thing that passes through it. She invites you to join her on her mission to build an eco-friendly habitat, grow organic food, and sustain the small plot of earth we each claim.

By making a commitment to spend a small amount of time in the garden several days a week, rather than trying to accomplish everything all at once, and becoming frustrated, Brenda promotes a realistic approach to gardening. She uses her blog to share Ten-Minute/Ten-Step Garden Plans for weekdays when there’s little time to spare. Occasionally, she goes into weekend-warrior mode, when she and her family devote themselves (and other innocent bystanders) to more complex tasks that will save time in the long run. She shares tips on how to use valuable extra time to conserve water, compost, and implement sustainable pollinator-friendly practices. 

Eating healthy food is a big part of vegetable gardening. Brenda loves to share fresh recipes on her Eat What You Sow page.

Current Projects: When she’s not digging in her backyard, Brenda works as a freelance writer, garden coach, and outdoor educator. She teaches nature classes and helps local schools design native gardens, wildlife habitat gardens, and organic vegetable gardens. She is a certified Master Gardener at Green Spring Gardens. 

Other Fun Facts: Brenda loves reading, knitting, traveling to national parks, and bird watching.