Getting Started

I've been gardening since the age of thirteen.  My husband and I have owned four homes and we have done extensive rehabilitation on the properties that we have owned in different parts of the country.  The most recent property is here in Connecticut.  In 1997 I started expanding my gardening to other properties beyond my own.  After leaving my job as president of a non-profit in 2008, devoting my time to the outdoors has been my priority.  It was then, in 2008, that I started working for an arborist and began studying arboriculture.  I worked four years there learning about trees, diseases, and insects and am now involved with organizations like the Connecticut Tree Protective Association, I'm a member of the New England chapter of ISA, and have attended numerous seminars along with attending Arboriculture 101 (classes focused on the study of trees).  I entered the Master Gardener Program through the University of Connecticut in 2011 and graduated in 2012.  For those of you that don't know what the Master Gardener Program is about, it's a sixteen week study course of horticulture. Classes include botany, soil structure, insects and diseases of plants, tree identification and research, herbaceous perennial identification and research, entomology, pathology, etc.  Projects include a final exam, putting together a lengthy book of research on trees, shrubs, and invasive plants, and forty hours of specific horticultural volunteer projects.  I completed the program to became certified in 2012 and am currently holding an 'Advanced' status.  That means I've gone well beyond the initial program.

My business is based on the idea that we all need a place to rest and enjoy our outdoor spaces. Through my travels and friendships, I realize that there are many of us that are happiest when we surround ourselves with the purity of nature, it makes us feel calm, a little bit healthier, and it brings us to a better place in our mind.  That's why in this chaotic world, I feel it's important for us to surround ourselves with places where we can feel safe from stress. I believe that when we surround ourselves with a chemical free environment and a healthy landscaping, then not only are the plants happy, but our souls will rest.

So whether you are a small business or a homeowner, I would love to help you find a place to rest your soul.  I want to help you make good decisions on what to plant in your yard or special place.  Together we will make a sanctuary where bees and birds can rest and feed, and you can enjoy the view without the worry of touching something toxic.  I can help you make your yard fairly maintenance free by choosing the right plant for the right place.  I can help you do the work, or I can do the work for you.  I can also assist in the maintenance and help you plan for the future so it's easier on your budget.  Please understand that I am not a landscaper, I focus more on the smaller rooms within your yard.  What I do takes time and careful thought.  I need to understand who you are and what's important to you, so I can make your gardens about you.  You will not see the final results of my work instantaneously.  A beautiful garden is the result of thoughtful planning, time, care, and in most cases hard work.

If you think you want to talk to me, send me an email at singellisLLC@gmail.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I come in from working and clean up.

Popular posts from this blog

The Healing Garden Dream and Start

Image
I have a new project that is near and dear to my heart.  It's called The Healing Garden at the Connecticut Healthcare and Residential Center in Rocky Hill Connecticut.  It started about three years ago when a friend of mine, Bud Neal told me about wanting to plant a few trees at the Veterans Home in Rocky Hill.  He had been going there for years engaging the men and women that are either there short-term or living there.  He's a vet and commander of the American Legion in Woodbury, CT.  His credentials are a mile long with other avenues of business and life, but short term of it, he felt his connections would help in planting a number of trees instead of one or two which was the original plan.  He asked if I was willing to help, and of course I said yes. After walking the area that he had chosen for the trees, he and I brainstormed an idea of a garden with five trees.  He wanted all the trees to ultimately have the branches touch showing unity.  Each tree would represent the
Read more

Christmas Gardening

Image
I love late fall when the holidays are approaching and summer seems distant.  Life slows down from the summer busyness and fall clean up, so I shift my thoughts to decorating for the holidays.  I have a few customers that like the look of natural greens for decorating, which is what I love also, so I make some of my own creations for them to hang on their doors or where ever they want them. This wreath was for a large piece of granite in the entry way of a fence. When I collect greens, I store them outside in the shade.  The days are cool in late November but the sun can still get pretty warm and dry the greens up fast.  I cover them with a tarp so if it snows or rains, I don't have work with the greens when they're wet.  I found the quality of the wreath frames are important when making wreaths.  The good ones hold the greens and don't bend when full.  The ribbons for bow making are also important when it comes to making full puffy bows.  It's easiest to make bo
Read more

Winter is Coming

Image
November 12, 2017:  We worked at the Healing Garden for a little while today.  We've had a little dry spell, so we, Bud and I, thought we would get some grading done on the hill.  Bud picked up a few more donated bales of hay from Nate O'Neil in Woodbury.  We've been using hay as a barrier for erosion control, it works pretty well.  Some topsoil was moved to the center of the garden and grading was done on the hill, but not in it's entirety.  It was still pretty muddy in sections, so those areas need to dry out more before grading can be completed. The garden doesn't look as good as it did in past weeks.  The leaves are falling from the oaks and making a mess everywhere.  This bothers me a little.  I know it's a construction site, but I really want it to look nice for people that come to see the progress.  I keep imagining what it's going to look like when it's done; I see green grass, the flowers blooming and the trees planted.  I see the new fence
Read more