Twin Mom Gardener

Hi, I’m Twin Mom Gardener, but my husband/high school sweetheart calls me Laura Lee and our three wonderful kids call me “Mom.” I am both a twin mom and a self-taught gardener. I garden in Zone 7b outside of Richmond, Virginia.

Self-taught might be underselling it. For years, I have made it my mission to learn as much as I can about landscape plants and soil science from as many expert sources as possible. I own and read (for fun, believe it or not) multiple horticulture textbooks. It’s more than a hobby for me - it’s a genuine, life-consuming passion.

Like so many gardeners before me, I fell hard for hydrangeas early in my gardening life. I’ve grown more varieties than I care to count. I’ve read everything I can about these remarkable plants, even about the most obscure species that aren’t even used in American landscapes. After hours upon hours of study and practical experience, I decided to give myself the title of “hydrangea expert.”

Somewhere along the way, I figured out I could learn even more about plants by getting keyed into knowing when the newest plants were coming to market and how to track down their early marketing and patent material. And suddenly, I became the go-to plant news expert among garden friends.

I garden in a small, stereotypical suburban lot. I, like most of you, don’t have unlimited space, time, or budget to dedicate to the garden. Still, I try to make the best garden I can that brings me joy. I plant a mix of natives and non-natives. I make mistakes. I occasionally (perhaps more than occasionally) put holes in my DIY drip irrigation system when I’m planting with my mattock. I’ve killed many plants and learned something each and every time.

If that sounds like the kind of gardening content you like, you can find me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.