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Sustainable Garden Maintenance: Benefits & Best Practices

  • Montclair History Center 108 Orange Road Montclair, NJ, 07042 United States (map)

Having a beautiful garden and supporting the environment aren’t mutually exclusive. In this presentation you’ll learn how to maintain your landscape throughout the seasons while supporting wildlife and minimizing your environmental impact. Program funded by the Landsberger Foundation. Presented by Shelly Waldvogel, Horticulturalist for the Landsberger Foundation Meadow at the Montclair History Center. Program is held in person at the Crane House & Historic YWCA Museum, 110 Orange Road, Montclair.

Register here, space is limited.

About Shelly Waldvogel
Shelly Waldvogel grew up in Ohio and her fondest childhood memories are of exploring the woods with her little sister and helping her mother tend the family vegetable garden. After graduating from college, she moved to NYC and worked as a graphic designer for over a decade. During this time she developed a strong sense of design, but always felt restless working behind a desk, spending much of her spare time wandering through the parks and gardens of NYC. And then a serendipitous internet search changed everything. She saw a volunteer position as a farm apprentice at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn and applied. It was that experience working on the rooftop farm that reignited her love of plants and catapulted her into the world of horticulture. Next, she began volunteering at the New York Botanical Garden, started working towards a certificate in Horticulture at NYBG, and then landed a job at NYBG’s Nolen Glasshouses. Working there she learned about plants from some of the most knowledgeable horticulturalists in the country, but something else happened as well. She had the opportunity to engage with the public and saw first-hand the joy and wonder visitors experienced just being around plants, and this really struck a chord. 

Shelly started her own landscape design business in 2016 to focus on what she’s most passionate about: using sustainable horticultural practices to design and maintain green spaces that foster people’s connection to nature. She enjoys collaborating with clients to create gardens that express their unique, personal style while addressing the specific cultural needs of plants within the garden. In her work she stresses the importance of creating sustainable gardens that are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also require fewer resources and support wildlife in all four seasons. In addition to landscape design and maintenance, Shelly also offers horticultural consultations, natural or low-impact pest management, soil health evaluation, interiorscaping, and interior plant care.