About Patrick

My gardening experiences range from the Australian outback to the prairies of Kansas. I grew up in subtropical Sydney with grandparents in Narrabri, NSW. In 1978 at age 13 my family moved to Kansas.

I was terribly distressed on how I could learn to garden with a climate of such extremes. Up until moving here, I hadn't even seen snow before. But my solace was to be found with the host of a new PBS show named Crockett's Victory Garden which was a precursor of today's Victory Garden. Between Jim Crockett's books and appearances on the show, I did learn how to grow flowers and veggies and his lessons became my springboard to learn so much more.

I'm a proud graduate of KSU with a degree in Agricultural Economics & Marketing. I spent 15 years in the advertising business with both agricultural and horticultural clients. My hort clients included PanAmerican Seed (Breeders of Super Elfin Impatiens and Vinca Coolers) and Ball Seed (Madness Petunias).

While working as a Global Marketing Communications Leader for one of GE's insurance companies, a tumor in my spinal chord ruptured ten years ago rendering me a quadriplegic. Much to my despair, I could no longer have a professional career.

Today, I'm a recently divorced Dad of two great kids living in a nursing home. But it's a great place with a staff that includes some of my best friends. While I lost my own beloved garden, today I have my own grounds here at Trinity. We have two large patio areas and 14, yes 14 windowboxes. This year I'm replacing two old tired daylily beds with all new donated hybrids. And I'm hitting up vendors to supply me with "donated" trees.

I'm an Extension Master Gardener with Kansas State University and I volunteer on two very diverse gardens. The Wonder Why Children's Garden and the Monet Garden at the Overland Park Arboretum. My job is to build awareness of these fine projects in the Kansas City area primarily through this blog.

This blog also documents two gardens at Powell Gardens, Kansas City's botanical garden. The Heartland Harvest Garden and the Island Garden.

I write a monthly column on new plant introductions in the Kansas City Gardener. My gardening efforts are enabled by a close group of friends and family. While there are a lot of gardening things I can't do, there is the upside of avoiding weeding and watering. Life has been pretty complicated lately but I can't wait to see what blooms for me tomorrow.