Deep Roots in Gardening
During the Great Depression, Theresa Erb, my great-grandmother, saved the family farm from going under. She had a large garden and grew vegetables she could sell to supplement the scant income from the rest of the farm. Her small act of tending seeds into produce fed families in town while also keeping her family in their home.
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I didn't know this about my family when I planted my first flowerbed in front of our military townhome in Japan. Certainly, I'd have felt even more compelled to know more about Tessie when I accepted the part-time job planting beds and containers with a larger local company. Maybe Tessie unwittingly passed on a love of soil between fingers, sun warming the back, and stretching after weeding only to see the bounty you've helped to bring into being.
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I'm Louise and I garden. I'm not a landscaper--though our homes' landscapes are important--nor am I just a weeder. A gardener is one who tends and nurtures an environment so in turn that space can enrich the lives of those who visit--be it humans, birds, or bees.
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Although this sounds lofty, it's really rooted in the same beginnings of Theresa. I'm not saving my family home, but I am here to help you create a garden space that helps your family thrive outdoors. In the process, we can encourage wildlife, better their environment, and protect endangered species.
Be it coaching you or planting out your spaces, I look forward to helping you nourish your roots.
Louise Sloan
owner and gardener
My roots might be in Teresa's garden, but I bloomed in my own space after a career in the United States Navy. I've had the joy of encouraging student growth in English classrooms while I raised three young children. Now, I can be found in the garden, volunteering as a MSU Extension Master Gardener, or learning how to create the healthiest outdoor spaces. My family is often along for my garden adventures and our dog, Shandy, is learning to be a companion planter, too. I think Tessie would be tickled: a great-granddaughter who served in airplanes and that taught college courses has found her way back to the good earth.
woman, veteran owned business
insured and committed to growth
