In this episode of I Dig Your Story, host Ellen Wells sits down with Charlotte, NC-based garden designer Jay Sifford to explore how he turns ordinary spaces into immersive, story-rich landscapes. Jay shares his winding path from ministry and sales to aquariums and, finally, to garden design, and explains why he treats plants like an artist treats paint, using color, form, and mood to compose gardens that feel magical, personal, and deeply memorable.

Find out about Jay’s love of slag glass, his hot takes on designing with natives and how Mary Poppins changed the trajectory of his garden design career. It's a great conversation—you're gonna love it!

Where to Find Jay Sifford

Website: SiffordGardenDesign.com

Instagram: @siffordgardendesign

Facebook: Sifford Garden Design

Writing: Regular contributor to *Fine Gardening* magazine

Video Features: Appearing in garden tours on Jim Putnam’s HortTube YouTube channel

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, host Ellen Wells is joined by Helen Lawson, Retail Marketing Partnership Coach for Monrovia, a California-based nursery with nationwide operations. Helen is one of those people I’ve had minimal but excellent interactions with, and that was more than enough to know she had a story worth digging into.

Helen shares how a childhood love of the outdoors led her to writing and photography, how writing led her into marketing, and how a Garden Writers Association event helped her discover a passion for horticultural marketing. Her journey is a reminder that careers don’t have to follow a straight path to be meaningful.

At the core of Helen’s story is a simple but powerful philosophy: “Just show up.” Got an interest? A dream? Show up for it.

Stick around for the lightning round to find out if Helen loves disco—and which marketing trend she’s soooo totally over.

Shovel Ready:

Vivid Bright Lights Dianthus: www.monrovia.com/viviid-bright-light-dianthus.html

From the Convo:

Centennial Ruby Hydrangea: www.monrovia.com/centennial-ruby-hydrangea.html

GardenComm/Garden Writers Association: info.gardencomm.org/

Helen on Socials:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/helennewlinglawson/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/helen_gardenspotting

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, I’m joined by Kate Ferguson and Lila Sullivan, the co-founders of Flourish Plant—and proof that a shared love of plants and nature can turn into something much bigger. Long before they were business partners, Kate and Lila were science fair competitors, both already deeply curious about how plants work and what they need to thrive.

In our conversation, we trace their path from early science geekdom and parallel nature-obsessed lives to launching Flourish Plant together. Kate and Lila share what it’s really like to start a plant care company from absolute scratch, how they navigated the complexities of the fertilizer market, and why creating sustainable, high-quality products has always been a non-negotiable for them.

We also talk about friendship in business, what excites them most about expanding their product line, and how their passion for plants continues to shape their vision for the future of Flourish Plant.

Find Flourish Plant products at more than 500 Whole Foods and independent plant shops and garden centers nationwide and also on Amazon. For more information on Kate, Lila and Flourish Plant, visit:

www.flourishplant.com

www.instagram.com/flourishplant

www.tiktok.com/@flourishplant