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

Joining me on the I Dig Your Story podcast today is landscape designer Jan Johnsen. Grab your popcorn my friends because this lady has some stories!

Like what? We talk about growing “monster seeds," winning the NY Citywide science fair with a plant experiment, living in 1970s Japan how she became a sort-after landscape designer in Westchester County, New York.

We also lament the fact that the world is out of touch with green spaces and how important it is to inform the next generations that yes indeed plants can be a career choice.

It's a fun time with Jan! And seriously, we may need to have a Part II.

Connect with Jan:

• Instagram: Johnsen Design
• Substack: Gardentopia
• LinkedIn: Jan Johnsen
• Website: Johnsen Landscapes

Host Ellen Wells chats with Katie Jensen of Katie Casey Designs—a plant shop, garden center, and landscape design studio all rolled into one—in Clear Lake, Iowa. Even while recovering from a flu-like bug, Ellen wasn’t about to miss the chance to catch up with Katie, who truly “does it all.”

Ellen has known Katie long before she opened her own shop—back when Katie was writing for Better Homes and Gardens. From those early days as a garden writer to becoming a business owner and designer, Katie’s career has taken some impressive and unexpected turns.

In this conversation, Katie shares:

• Where her love of plants first began

• How and why she walked away from her original career path

• What led her to create Katie Casey Designs

• What’s ahead for her and her business in the coming year

And fair warning, Kelly Norris—Katie may be paying you a visit soon.

Tune in to hear how passion, creativity, and a little boldness can grow into a life rooted in plants and possibility.

Find Katie IRL at Katie Casey Designs in Clear Lake, Iowa, and online at katiecaseydesigns.com.

Welcome to I Dig Your Story, a podcast where we unearth the personal stories behind the plants, people, gardens, and green spaces that shape our lives.

I’m your host, Ellen Wells, and today’s guest is someone I’ve known for nearly 18 years—Marta Maria Garcia, Head of Product Management and Marketing for Dümmen Orange in North America. Marta Maria and I have been friends and industry colleagues for a long time, but even after all these years, I realized I didn’t really know how she first found her way into the plant world.

In this episode, Marta Maria shares the surprising path that led her from marketing Bacardi in Puerto Rico to building a career in the plant industry in South Florida. We talk about how her background in marketing shaped her approach, the twists and turns of her career, and what drew her to horticulture in the first place.

Stick around to find out:

• What “legacy plant” is growing in her backyard

• Her favorite flavor from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

• And what she plans to do when she wins that massive Powerball jackpot (and yes, I’m definitely going with her)

This one is full of stories, good laughs, and a reminder that everyone in this industry has a unique path worth digging into.

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, I’m joined by Cheri Ruane, Chief Development Officer at Weston & Sampson—and a longtime friend, although exactly how long we’ve known each other is still up for debate. Like many friendships, I realized I didn’t exactly know what Cheri does for a living, but I knew it had something to do with landscape architecture. And honestly—do we ever really know what our friends do all day?

In this episode, we break down what a Chief Development Officer at an engineering firm actually does and how a girl from New Jersey made her way to the C-suite of a Boston-based company, with an important stop working in her cousin’s landscape contracting business along the way.

We also talk about how Cheri learns about new plants, why plant selection matters in public spaces, and the one type of plant she hopes breeders will start producing in abundance for public parks everywhere.

Learn more about Cheri:

@work - https://www.westonandsampson.com/

Fun stuff - just Google Cheri Ruane ; )

In this special installment of I Dig Your Story, Ellen answers a few questions you didn't even know you had about her podcast. Such as, who is this Ellen? And what's the whole show anyway?