The highlight of my visit to The Philadelphia Flower Show was hearing Kerry Mendez of Perennially Yours speak. Her business is dedicated to teaching gardeners how to create low-maintenance, ever-blooming perennial gardening. That's my idea of a dream garden! Kerry has been featured on HGTV and many publications including Fine Gardening, Garden Gate, How-To Gardening, Country Gardens, and Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living from Better Homes and Gardens.Kerry's presentation was not only fun and entertaining but highly informative. So much so that my designer friend Anne Hardock of Dwellings by Design arranged a day of on-site garden consultations with Kerry! These gorgeous pictures are all of Kerry's garden in Ballston Spa, NY. I love the mix of plants and the relaxed and welcoming feel. My garden is the exact opposite of hers - and in serious need of expert advice.
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In my one hour garden consultation, Kerry discussed my goals, including colors and preferred types of plants. She designed and sketched a complete front garden plan with exact locations for each plant as well as gave me planting solutions for a shaded area and a section by our pool that is its own micro-desert. Kerry also surveyed my existing plants and identified better places to relocate them to. I'm excited to finally have plants where they're supposed to be - you know- plants that need partial shade not baking out in the sun!
What I also loved about my garden consultation is that Kerry is an independent advisor and is not in the business of selling and installing. I can now go about implementing the plan on my own, staging things to go along with my budget and time. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will post some pics of my progress. Kerry is also available for virtual consultations. Click here for more info - her current hourly consultation fee is $65. 
Here we are at the end of a very happy and productive day enjoying a wonderful dinner in Anne's newly built and designed screened porch. I'm taking the photo, Anne is first on the left and Kerry is at the end of the table..jpg)
Anne has a gorgeous porch. Here's a sneak peak photo. I'm planning to do a whole post on it soon..jpg)
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19 comments:
how awesome! i need said consultation AND that gold arrow in the last pic. LOVE THAT! any ideas where it was procured?
xojenny
Oh how I wish Kerry was here in Australia (or that I could find someone just like Kerry - does she have any Australian connections?) - this is just what I need for my garden. Kerry sounds as though she's lovely and very knowledgeable. Lee :)
WHAAAAT? Ballston Spa is 15 minutes north of me, I cannot believe this. Why have I never paid attention? And since we just had a shed delivered yesterday that looks like a tornado dropped a house in the middle of our yard (still looking for the ruby slippers sticking out), I may be contacting her. Thank you!
Liz in Upstate NY
Looks like it was a worthwhile investment!
I want a garden like that. Wrong plants or plants in the wrong place will cost way more than a consultation. Our motto is we can't can't afford NOT to have a professional design.
May I adopt her? I love a perennial bed and a porch.
I like the idea of low maintenance, ever-blooming; I need to remember that when I get to the point where I want to focus on my garden!
If you get more into gardening I can highly recommend the Northern Virginia Master Gardener program. I took it and it is very worthwhile. I hope you will show us more photos of your garden as it progresses.
What a gorgeous garden! It looks simply divine- what a treat! -e
Thank you, Michele, for the post and for participating in our fun and informative garden consultation day. I love Kerry and learned so much from her, too. The comment from Jenny about the arrow--we found it at Luckett's General Store in Leesburg, Virginia (a number of dealers have space it that building and there is one on the main floor that always has the best accessories. The crown shaped bottle opener is from there too.)
What fantastic inspiration! I'm still waiting for mine to grow/evolve into something fabulous like that. Souinds like you had a great learning (and fun) time!
Sounds like a fun day all around!!!
I love how shes not in selling end...that changes everything. My best advice is to enjoy the process because it is a long one.
Just beautiful! I love a good English style garden - heights and colors jumbled up like this. Marvelous.
my favorite and my best - I'll check w/my friend to see where she found the arrow
TreadUpon68 - Be sure to check out her site as Kerry has open houses in her garden. My good friend used to live in Ballston Spa. I grew up in Auburn NY.
Thanks everyone for the comments!
awesome! LOVE ALL THE COLOR!
What a great motivator! All the colors, smell, design arrangements etc. Fun fun!
Bette
Wow, this is amazing. I didn't know services like this existed, but I think it's exactly what I need!
Love this. I need her bad. Wonderful post.
Oh. Be. Still. My. Heart! Now THAT is a gorgeous garden!! I just cannot figure out how people do that!
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