Gardens For Life

01/14/2022

How do we keep hope alive as temperatures dip below zero and the pandemic continues to wear us down? Imagine kids playing in a meadow...and then get in touch with Gardens For Life to create it!

Gardens are one of the best ways to connect people and nature.

09/30/2021

Gardens are one of the best ways to connect people and nature. Hands in the soil, sweaty clothes, bees visiting the flowers you just planted, and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from making a place more beautiful.

Read more about why I love my job, and get in touch if you or someone you know are looking for help with a garden space used for play and learning!

Gardens are one of the best ways to connect people and nature.

06/01/2021

Spring is in full swing, and so are the weeds in the butterfly garden! Thrilled to do service learning with the Youth Leaders at Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center. A full day in 90-degree heat, and you can start to see pollinator habitat emerge!

Do you know a learning or play garden that could use a little TLC? Get in touch to learn about maintenance consulting services at Gardens For Life!

05/06/2021

Loved seeing the inspiring designs for Boston's BIG PARKS as part of Boston Design Week. Cheri Ruane crushed it with her presentation of the plan for a revitalized Boston Common. I'm excited to see where the plan for Franklin Park goes, since it's my daily park for outdoor adventure. And did you know there's going to be a giant slide on City Hall Plaza?

People poke fun at Boston for boasting it's a world-class city. Parks like these will make it so.

On March 10th, we reviewed preliminary design ideas for Franklin Park. There are still opportunities to view draft projects and share your feedback to inform the team’s design decisions and next steps. Watch our March 10th workshop below or download the presentation to review it on your own!

03/31/2021

It's hard to convey how much my SCORE mentor Susan Schiro has helped me during my first year as a business owner. She's keeps me accountable, she makes sure I'm tracking the right things, she connects me with other amazing professionals, and she's my biggest cheerleader.

If you're a business owner and you haven't taken advantage of FREE mentoring and workshops from SCORE, you're missing out.

This link is for the national organization; check out what's available in your region, and of course all meetings are virtual right now.

SCORE is the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. We have helped more than 11 million small business owners since 1964.

03/10/2021

It's mud season in New England! Are you looking for a relatively simple project that will give young children the chance to mix, pour, and create mud pie masterpieces? Check out these instructions for building a mud kitchen.

Not so handy? Get in touch with Gardens For Life and we'll help you bring creative nature play to your own landscape.

Instructions on how to build your own mud kitchen with a sink.

03/03/2021

A big THANK YOU to folks who have shared info about Gardens For Life with their network! I'm hearing from potential clients and am excited to help them improve their outdoor spaces for play and learning.

If you're part of a parent group, school or child care committee, or neighborhood group, please consider posting a link to my website so we can get more people connected with nature!

“Thanks to Erica’s creativity and follow-through, we have an amazing outdoor nature playspace that is fun for the whole family!”

02/17/2021

At Gardens For Life, we're experts in the unique challenges of maintaining landscapes for play and learning. It’s a joy to teach people how to keep their play spaces growing and thriving. I’m equal parts horticulture expert, cheerleader, logistical planner, and matchmaker (matching the client’s interest and capacity with the required tasks).

Read more in the blog post and get in touch if you'd like to learn how to care for your landscape!

These days, when people ask me what I do, I usually say I'm a landscape designer. But I'm a teacher at heart.

02/09/2021

At Gardens For Life, we start with joy and gratitude. Read more about our values and approach! https://creategardensforlife.com/blog/uncategorized/core-values/

02/09/2021

If it’s snowing where you are, I hope you get to go outside and play!

02/09/2021

At Gardens For Life, we start with joy and gratitude. Read more about our values and approach!

Whether the project is a landscape design, a volunteer work day, or a teacher training, we lead with our values.