About Us
We are very proud of our staff, so to help you to get to know us and to know the best times to come out for our specialists, here are our portraits. This year we are pleased to welcome two new people to our staff.
Sylvia Smith has a masters in Natural Science. She has extensive knowledge of native plants, and has gardened organically and done xeriscaping for years. She lives above 8000’ and so knows high altitude gardening. She has been a field guide for Boulder Co. Parks and Open Space. Sylvia works Wed. thru Sun.
Katie Kalins knows and loves wild birds and is enthusiastic about creating gardens that provide bird and wildlife habitat. She also has extensive background in customer service and teaching. Katie works Tuesday thru Saturday
Roses are one of our primary specialties and Sharron Zaun is one of our most knowledgeable people in that area, especially for the David Austin roses. Besides growing 90 roses in her own garden, Sharron has 3000 square feet of growing area to test perennials and shrubs. To say she has a master’s degree in botany and 25 years gardening experience in Boulder doesn’t describe her passion for working with plants and people. She has been with us for 13 years (can that be possible?) Sharron works Fridays.
Diane Badertscher is a Master Gardener and star graduate of the Front Range Horticulture program. She is very knowledgeable about plants, especially shrubs and her experience with gardening in the mountains at 8000’ for 10 years is very valuable for Mt. gardeners She Diane works Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat.
Christina Thomas has been gardening in Boulder for 25 years with particular experience in herbs, Mediterranean plants, xeriscape and vegetables. She has worked as an editor for “Conservation Biology”, for articles and books on climate change, natural sciences and the environment. She works Tues.& Saturdays
Matt Patrick is trained as a CSU Master Gardener and has operated his own landscape business for the past three years. He was raised farming tobacco in Kentucky. He has worked for the Boulder County AIDS Project, Boulder Human Relations Comm., & Foothills United Way. Matt works Sundays
Eve Reshetnik-Brawner thinks the Garden of Eden must be in her blood as she has always had a passion for gardening and for studying, growing and drawing plants. She has a degree in landscape architecture and over ten years of experience in that field. She has a special love and knowledge of roses, fragrant flowers, ornamental grasses, clematis and vegetables. Eve, with Mikl, designed the rose garden at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House. In her “spare” time she is a botanical illustrator,artist and musician. Eve works Tuesdays and Sundays,and is available for garden consultations
Mikl Brawner got his initial training along the creeks and woods of eastern Iowa. Then he studied biology at the University of Iowa, but the further education he sought to become an ecologist and naturalist was not available, so that being the sixties, he went to India with the Peace Corps. Back in America, he managed a small organic apple orchard, and started a tree care business which he has continued for 30 years. Studying plants, researching alternatives to pesticides, and developing a xeriscape garden led him from the tree tops to a plant nursery. Now the evolving Harlequin’s Gardens is his life-work, helping the gardening community to bring nature into their personal lives and homes using sustainable plants, materials and methods. Mikl works Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and available for consultations.
Our staff also includes Lynn Strosburg who maintained our demo gardens beautifully last year, and will be doing that again this year. Lynn does garden maintenance professionally.(303-564-1188) Also returning to maintain our demo gardens is Heather Stone, an herbalist who worked at HG until she had twins. Kurt Reber, our production manager, has a Masters in Music, is a talented performer and is available for lessons at 303-579-8594. And we’re delighted to have occasional help from: Marty Crigler, Natalie Shrewsbury, Carol Gerlitz, Juanita Hakala, Marilyn Kakudo, Zachary Smith and Engrid Winslow.
Not on our staff, but living in our little blue house are Amy and Angie who are Certified Massage Therapists. Proper massage can benefit gardeners by increasing circulation, relieving sore muscle and tension, decreasing joint stiffness and revitalizing energy. They are available by appointment:Amy-720-273-2203; Angie-303-885-8513
Eve transplanting seedlings in our solar-geothermal greenhouse.
