RealRoots

For simple jobs like clean-ups and mulching, we can agree on a general estimate ahead of time and then tweak if necessary once I arrive to complete the work. We can discuss what needs to be done via email, phone call or text, what every is the most convenient for you.

For garden installations, I give a free consultation to whoever is interested in having a project planned. Prices, vision, and completion time vary greatly with most garden installations, so an initial quotes before consultations usually don't work. After you relay your vision to me, I'll let you know the different price points we could complete the project at, and we can move on to creating the growing space.

I am a Certified Urban Agriculturalist, which means I am trained on how to remediate poor urban soils, the best plants and food to grow in urban and suburban contexts, and how to address challenges that come along with growing in less than ideal growing spaces.

I am also a Penn State Master Gardener. The Master Gardener program is provided by the Penn State Extension to develop participants horticultural experience through participation in educational training classes conducted by Penn State University faculty and Extension staff.

Pricing is dependent entirely on the scope of the work. I charge a set rate of $40 per hour for my labor. All estimates (both rough quotes on the app and final quotes after consultation) are labor + cost of materials. 

I worked for various ornamental gardening companies in Washington DC, Richmond, Virginia, and in Philadelphia. I trained extensively in Richmond to recieve my certification in urban agriculture, and have taken part in a multitude of different community gardening and commercial gardening enterprises. I chose to start working for myself when I realized how much more personal of a touch I could put on my work as a business owner, and how much more of a relationship I could build with the clients who need my services.

I have worked with homeowners with young children, who want their kids to enjoy a beautiful backyard with butterflies and birds visiting regularly. I have worked with newlyweds who had just bought a new house, and who want to increase their household sustainability by growing as much of their own food as possible. I have worked with landlords clearing and beautifying rental units for new tenants, and with retirees that want to plant new gardens, but don't have the energy to reclaim their overgrown backyards from weeds and vines.

I was very happy to see a praying mantis in my most recent clients vegetable garden. They are the ultimate pest assassins!

Make sure you are working with someone who will listen to what your vision is, not try too hard to sell you theirs. If you are open to suggestions, that is one thing. But it is ultimately YOU who has to look at your space every day, and many businesses in my field are satisfied with planting something quickly and forgetting about it.

Are they going to be flexible if your vision changes? Will they promise you a low price at first, and then continue to hike up prices as the process continues? Will they be around after the work is done if you have any questions about how things are growing?