Horticultural Consulting
My Background with Plants
Horticultural Consulting
I spent much of my childhood relishing the plants described in books on rare greenhouse plants that would not grow in Delaware. It is truly a delight to be living on the central coast of California where plants like society garlic, lily of the Nile, orchid cacti and bird of paradise plants grow right outside my front door!
I used to think that there was no such thing as having too many plants until we moved from our house to a duplex. Fortunately, it has a gravel courtyard!
Not only do I enjoy growing plants; I also enjoy writing about them.
I have two advanced degrees in plant pathology and primarily wrote about pests and diseases for more than two years at Gardener’s Path (see portfolio). I owe a debt of gratitude to my editors Allison Sidhu and Clare Groom for their help with my articles. I have also written about houseplants, bonsai and greenhouse plants.
DISEASE DIAGNOSES
People frequently contact me for help in diagnosing diseases on their plants. That can be difficult to do from pictures, but it is sometimes possible. Given the demands on my time, I have started charging a nominal amount:
• I can’t help you (most root rots): No charge
• Quick diagnosis: $10
• Diagnosis that requires research: $20
• Consulting: $40/hour or negotiated rate
Another option could be contacting your county USDA extension agent for help. Here is a link to find out who this is.
WRITING
I enjoy writing articles on plants and usually quickly readily agree to a proposal. However, I do need some advanced notice. My rate is $40/hour. I am a quick writer, so it usually doesn’t take me long to write articles. One advantage of being an editor is that I edit my work as I go, so the text is usually in very good shape. I accept payment by PayPal or credit card.