Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Colvin.
Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
After graduating from Clemson University, I worked for years in the horticulture industry. Most recently I worked as a professional horticulturist for the South Carolina Aquarium. But after the arrival of our fourth baby, my husband and I made the choice for me to stay home with the children. I loved staying home with the children but I missed horticulture, so I started a “just for fun” Instagram account where I only talked about plants. Soon people were asking questions and I started giving online horticulture lessons in stories. I absolutely love teaching others how to be better gardeners! Now I do virtual landscape consultations, and I teach virtual therapy gardening at a pediatric inpatient mental facility.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In some ways the change from unpaid hobby to paid virtual garden teacher was smooth. Learning the ins and outs of social media and content creation was and still is fun! However, the business side doesn’t come as natural to me, and I lean heavily on the people around me who are far more knowledgeable about business, finance, and contracts.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Through social media, I teach layman the ins and outs of science-based gardening. I explain what they need to know about soils, fertilizers, good and bad bugs, insect life cycles, how to read seed catalogs, choosing the best vegetable varieties for the garden, and more. Most of my lessons are quick 60-second or less videos! The science of horticulture can be really, really complicated, I break it down in a way that everyone can understand!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
As much as I love gardening, my heart is for children. My husband and I have 5 kids and we are licensed, foster parents. I love volunteering with the youth of our church and I volunteer in two local school gardens.
Contact Info:
- Email: kristen.growing@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kristen.growing
