About Garden Gnomads
How We Started
A screened fill dirt berm planted with wildflowers, sunflowers, okra, artichoke, beans, herbs, some of the biggest sweet potatoes I've ever known, and patty pan squash whose seeds I saved and still plant in my garden each year. This lush growth came from only two deep waterings through the whole summer. 
Where We're Going
What if humanity's role is to be Stewards of Nature? Our future vision pictures pollinators, birds, and flowers galore. People who enjoy seeing nature can do so out of every window, and anyone who wants a green thumb has a chance to practice.
We hope to see you there!
Public garden with Coreopsis, Solidago, Aster, Cranesbill Geranium, and Stokes Aster.
A residential entry with too many species to list.
How many can you count?
A note on the future:
As the demand for ecological landscaping grows and the resource constraints on a consumption economy grip tighter, we hope that Garden Gnomads can be an opportunity for people seeking wholeness, fulfillment, and legacy. While much of the work done today feels meaningless; stewarding a Beautiful, Bountiful, and Resilient landscape brings joy, satisfaction, and often awe.
Maybe you're a student seeking direction, maybe a professional missing purpose, or an elder leaving a legacy; and we need all to grow together. Join us on our journey!
"Faithfully Embody Integrity & Artistry
through Vital Service to Self & Others
with Purpose & Adaptive Discernment."
Hi, I'm Kevin.
An ecologist and student of life.
I want to build holistic intentional communities that foster an ecological economy. I tend the landscape of the Earth, and hopefully impact the landscape of the soul.
About Me
Growing up in Asheville gave me plenty of opportunities to connect with nature; some of my best times have been exploring the woods and waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have always loved plants, working the family garden as long as I can remember. High school horticulture (shout out, Mr. Atherton) helped me explore propagation and sales, and set me on the path of tending plants for a living.
After studying nuclear reactor maintenance in the US Navy, I decided to switch gears and learn to build. I had visions of a handful of tiny houses scattered across the East and West coasts, traveling between them as the mood fit. I learned concrete and carpentry and finishing work from some knowledgeable mentors. The money I saved working with them went toward funding my personal education in business, marketing, fitness and nutrition, market gardening, and regenerative agriculture.
Then I struck gold in discovering the Soil Food Web. Dr. Elaine Ingham showed me the power of the microscopic world. I realized that the same principles used to foster the soil food web in agriculture can be applied in many landscape contexts. So, now I design, install, and maintain ecological landscapes. I am grateful to be able to work outside in Beautiful, Bountiful, and Resilient landscapes that support life of all kinds, and I'm proud to consider myself a Citizen Steward.
My Journey
Some key milestones that led to becoming a Steward.
Nutrition
Ultraprocessed sugar, wheat, and corn derivatives, coupled with contaminated air and water, plus a sedentary lifestyle of monotonous plenty: a recipe for disaster.
Working in the landscape is my favorite exercise. I wonder:
If whole foods make for a healthy diet,
where do we find the best whole foods?
Regenerative Agriculture
Market gardens produce fresh greens nearly year-round. Intensive grazing systems improve soil health and the greater environment while producing more grass (and thus better beef/dairy/lamb/chicken/eggs.) And when these systems have healthy soil,
they produce nutrient-dense food.
The best food comes from healthy soil.
Soil Health
"I wonder what I eat ate.?" Follow that chain long enough and you will find that the happy chicken ate the grasshopper that ate the grass that "ate" the products of the soil food web. When soil microbes are healthy and functioning, they produce all of the nutrients that plants need to grow quickly, fungal medicines to fend against pest and disease, and communication pathways that connect entire forests.
Foster the Soil Food Web, and we all grow better for it.
Ecology &
Garden Gnomads
"What if humans could be God's gift to Nature?"
My mission is to demonstrate how that might look in reality. I plant meadows, hedgerows, food forests, and water features to help Nature live her best life.
And I need your help to do more.
Ecological Economy
I see an opportunity for people to spend their idle time stewarding landscapes and community foodscapes. A return to craft and quality over rampant consumption is a chance to live better and spend our lives well. Forestry, agricultural, and cultural resources will accrue to those who steward the Earth.
Ready to bring this ecological vision to life?
Let's cultivate a Beautiful, Bountiful, and Resilient landscape.
Reach out today and we will build something extraordinary together.