Liz Elkin “fell in love with landscape design and gardening” and turned that passion into a thriving business.
Elkin founded Bloom Fine Gardening in 2008 in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The company seeks to design landscapes that nurture a deeper connection between people and nature, she said. Elkin’s goal is not only to help people get the most out of their surrounding landscape but to also promote healthy, sustainable practices in the process.
She told Kinute that people must embrace their connection to the wild and free creatures on this shared planet, and Bloom Fine Gardening serves as a conduit to assist in that effort.
“Instead of trying to beat back nature and stake a claim to a barren yard with only a few species of plants and even fewer insects and animals, we must bring nature to our doorsteps,” Elkin said.
Courtey of Bloom Fine Gardening
Bloom Fine Gardening uses native plants that are vibrant in color and support native insects like butterflies and caterpillars, and thus biodiversity.
Services include landscape design, garden and hardscape installation, garden care and maintenance, vegetable garden creation and maintenance, annual plantings, container plantings and garden and design consultations.
Elkin, 43, is a Long Island native. She has lived in New Paltz, New York, since 2003. Elkin and her husband Matthew have two children, Tahlia, 13, and Jonah, 10.
She answered questions from Kinute about her business, her evolution to becoming a business owner dedicated to sharing the glories of nature, and her vision for Bloom Fine Gardening’s future and how it can positively impact the planet.
Liz Elkin of Bloom Fine Gardening | Facebook
How did Bloom Fine Gardening come to be?
I founded Bloom Fine Gardening in the late fall of 2008 for several reasons. I had recently fallen in love with landscape design and gardening. For many years I had studied agriculture and sustainable food systems. As I hedged out my working seasons in client’s gardens, I fell head over heels in love with the biodiversity and constant evolution of garden spaces.
After working for an incredible garden artist and solidifying my passion for horticulture, I decided to go out on my own. At first the timing had a lot to do with being a brand-new mom and having to juggle my life goals, developing my career and business while raising children and spending time with my husband. Bloom took off and has grown right alongside my family!
What makes Bloom Fine Gardening different from other landscaping companies?
We focus on sustainability and are regularly spending time learning about new ways to make our planet and our yards more diverse and more beautiful. We all love to spend time outdoors because of our deep reverence for nature. Working in sync with nature, rather than opposing, it really sets us apart from your standard landscaping company.
Courtesy of Bloom Fine Gardening
Connecting with nature is becoming harder in today’s society. How does Bloom Gardening help people rekindle and nurture that connection?
A few years ago, I read the book “Nature’s Last Hope” by Douglas Tallamy, and I have been on a new design path ever since. His words rang so true to me, it was completely reaffirming and inspirational, and a pivotal moment all at the same time.
As humanity spreads into every corner of the planet, we need to find a better approach to our home spaces. There isn’t enough room to have an “us” and “them.”
Instead of trying to beat back nature and stake a claim to a barren yard with only a few species of plants and even fewer insects and animals, we must bring nature to our doorsteps. Bloom strives to create these hybrid landscapes that bring people together out into their yards and into these more natural settings. These spaces celebrate caterpillars, insects, butterflies and all creatures. Our landscapes are so much more magical and exciting than the landscapes of the past.
Courtesy of Bloom Fine Gardening
What is the importance of pollinators and how do your plants support them?
The importance of pollinators cannot be underestimated. Without them we cannot eat. Most of our foods come from plants that depend on pollinators. In every garden we do, we incorporate pollinator friendly plants. Sometimes these are flowers that provide nectar and sometimes we plant host plants and shrubs that support the other times in the life cycles of the pollinators. We also encourage our clients to leave some areas of the gardens standing in the fall to provide winter habitat as well.
Courtesy of Bloom Fine Gardening
What types of plants do you typically use? Do you use any weeds?
Some of my favorite pollinator plants are orange butterflyweed, pink milkweed, echinacea, agastache, rattlesnake master, switchgrass, button bush, willows and also native trees such as dogwoods, redbuds, maples, oaks.
How much maintenance is required for the plants you use?
One of the best parts of planting natives and supporting pollinators is how adapted to our climate and region these plants are. The maintenance for them is much less and we also tolerate most insect damage. Seeing nibbled holes in the plants often suggests that the caterpillars are feeding on the leaves, which is exactly what you are hoping for.
Courtesy of Bloom Fine Gardening
Do you know anything about the Homegrown National Park initiative? How is your company contributing to it?
Yes, this is back to Douglas Tallamy and his “Nature’s Best Hope” book. Bloom tries to encourage people to reduce the mown area in their yards, add more native pollinator plants, and we work to teach our clients so they can get excited when they see a new creature in their yards. Once we begin to see some of the garden stars, like hummingbirds, monarch butterflies and caterpillars arrive in people's garden, they are totally on board.
Courtesy of Bloom Fine Gardening
What advice would you give someone interested in planting native plants but doesn’t know where to start?
I would start small with maybe three of each variety and focus on observation. It can be such a joy to find your first visitor and welcome them. Once people see how fast nature responds, they get so excited to do more.
Who is your biggest gardening inspiration?
I have so many. [There are] Mary Reynolds, Piet Oudolf, Vita Sackville-West (Sissinghurst) to name a few…
What are your long-term goals for Bloom Fine Gardening?
Last year I was blessed to partner with Hunter D’Andraia and Michael O’Brien. Now that Bloom is a team we can do so much more. They are the nuts and bolts of what we do and I couldn’t be any more thankful to have them. We have grown so much in the short time since we joined together. I would like Bloom to do more ecological restoration and educational outreach about habitat, pollinators and nature in general.
Liz Elkin soaking up nature. Courtesy of Liz Elkin