I Dig Your Story

In this episode of I Dig Your Story, Ellen sits down with Maria Rodale—author, organic advocate, and co-chair of the Rodale Institute board—to explore a lifetime spent growing alongside plants and the organic movement. 

Maria shares what it was like growing up on the pioneering Rodale family farm, where Organic Gardening and Prevention magazines were born and where her father’s research helped prove that organic systems can outperform chemical agriculture while regenerating soil. 

She explains the difference between organic and regenerative organic, why eliminating toxins is still the heart of the work, and how “regeneration” became part of the movement’s vocabulary. 

With guest co-host Mike Betterly from Organic Mechanics Soil Company, the conversation turns to: 

And, maybe best of all, Maria gives us permission to not weed! 

Find Maria Rodale on:

Substack @Life.Unfiltered

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, host Ellen Wells chats with Frank and Pamela Arnosky, founders and owners of Arnosky Family Farm and Market — known as Texas’ premier cut flower farm and garden.

Ellen first interviewed Frank and Pam for a 2025 FloraCulture International article and immediately knew their story deserved a deeper dig. The couple reveal that what started as a shared childhood love of plants separately grew into a thriving specialty cut flower operation as they came together. 

The Arnoskys' journey began with a small bedding plant business and a bold opportunity. When Whole Foods Market asked if they could supply “all you can grow,” the Arnoskys dove deep into specialty cut flowers. That eventually led to the creation of Texas Specialty Cut Flowers and the Blue Barn Market, beloved by flower lovers near and far.

In this episode, listen for:

How marigolds changed everything. A single crop dramatically shifted their production focus and opened new retail doors.

How COVID nearly flipped their business model 180 degrees. When wholesale demand stalled, retail  sales surged.

How polka music altered the course of their lives. Sometimes destiny arrives with an accordion.

Frank and Pam share honest insights about taking chances, resilience, sticking to their mission, and staying rooted in purpose. Through every season, they’ve remained grounded in one simple belief: Every home should have flowers every day.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a highly respected cut flower brand beloved throughout the Lone Star State — or how love, partnership, and a little polka can shape a life in horticulture — this episode is for you.

Where to Find the Arnoskys:

Website: https://www.texascolor.com/

In this episode, host Ellen Wells zooms with Chuck Pavlich, Director of New Product Development at Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon. Find out how a farm-raised boy’s obsession with dinosaurs and rocks evolved into a passion for all things plants. After working in retail horticulture in various positions for 30 years, Chuck is now exploring the world in search of new plants to breed, develop and bring to gardens worldwide.

Learn what it takes to hike a 15,000 ft. high mountain, how to find the gem in a trial garden and how a misdialed number led to Chuck’s short-lived but quite excellent film and television career. It’s all true!

Where to find Chuck:

Terra Nova Nurseries YouTube channel

In this episode of I Dig Your Story, host Ellen Wells sits down with Charlotte, NC-based garden designer Jay Sifford to explore how he turns ordinary spaces into immersive, story-rich landscapes. Jay shares his winding path from ministry and sales to aquariums and, finally, to garden design, and explains why he treats plants like an artist treats paint, using color, form, and mood to compose gardens that feel magical, personal, and deeply memorable.

Find out about Jay’s love of slag glass, his hot takes on designing with natives and how Mary Poppins changed the trajectory of his garden design career. It's a great conversation—you're gonna love it!

Where to Find Jay Sifford 

Website: SiffordGardenDesign.com 

Instagram: @siffordgardendesign 

Facebook: Sifford Garden Design 

Writing: Regular contributor to *Fine Gardening* magazine 

Video Features: Appearing in garden tours on Jim Putnam’s HortTube YouTube channel 

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, host Ellen Wells is joined by Helen Lawson, Retail Marketing Partnership Coach for Monrovia, a California-based nursery with nationwide operations. Helen is one of those people I’ve had minimal but excellent interactions with, and that was more than enough to know she had a story worth digging into.

Helen shares how a childhood love of the outdoors led her to writing and photography, how writing led her into marketing, and how a Garden Writers Association event helped her discover a passion for horticultural marketing. Her journey is a reminder that careers don’t have to follow a straight path to be meaningful.

At the core of Helen’s story is a simple but powerful philosophy: “Just show up.” Got an interest? A dream? Show up for it.

Stick around for the lightning round to find out if Helen loves disco—and which marketing trend she’s soooo totally over.

Shovel Ready:

Vivid Bright Lights Dianthus: www.monrovia.com/viviid-bright-light-dianthus.html

From the Convo:

Centennial Ruby Hydrangea: www.monrovia.com/centennial-ruby-hydrangea.html

GardenComm/Garden Writers Association: info.gardencomm.org/

Helen on Socials:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/helennewlinglawson/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/helen_gardenspotting

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, I’m joined by Kate Ferguson and Lila Sullivan, the co-founders of Flourish Plant—and proof that a shared love of plants and nature can turn into something much bigger. Long before they were business partners, Kate and Lila were science fair competitors, both already deeply curious about how plants work and what they need to thrive.

In our conversation, we trace their path from early science geekdom and parallel nature-obsessed lives to launching Flourish Plant together. Kate and Lila share what it’s really like to start a plant care company from absolute scratch, how they navigated the complexities of the fertilizer market, and why creating sustainable, high-quality products has always been a non-negotiable for them.

We also talk about friendship in business, what excites them most about expanding their product line, and how their passion for plants continues to shape their vision for the future of Flourish Plant.

Find Flourish Plant products at more than 500 Whole Foods and independent plant shops and garden centers nationwide and also on Amazon. For more information on Kate, Lila and Flourish Plant, visit:

www.flourishplant.com 

www.instagram.com/flourishplant

www.tiktok.com/@flourishplant

Joining me on the I Dig Your Story podcast today is landscape designer Jan Johnsen. Grab your popcorn my friends because this lady has some stories!

Like what? We talk about growing “monster seeds," winning the NY Citywide science fair with a plant experiment, living in 1970s Japan how she became a sort-after landscape designer in Westchester County, New York. 

We also lament the fact that the world is out of touch with green spaces and how important it is to inform the next generations that yes indeed plants can be a career choice. 

It's a fun time with Jan! And seriously, we may need to have a Part II. 

Connect with Jan: 

Host Ellen Wells chats with Katie Jensen of Katie Casey Designs—a plant shop, garden center, and landscape design studio all rolled into one—in Clear Lake, Iowa. Even while recovering from a flu-like bug, Ellen wasn’t about to miss the chance to catch up with Katie, who truly “does it all.”

Ellen has known Katie long before she opened her own shop—back when Katie was writing for Better Homes and Gardens. From those early days as a garden writer to becoming a business owner and designer, Katie’s career has taken some impressive and unexpected turns.

In this conversation, Katie shares:

Where her love of plants first began

How and why she walked away from her original career path

What led her to create Katie Casey Designs

What’s ahead for her and her business in the coming year

And fair warning, Kelly Norris—Katie may be paying you a visit soon.

Tune in to hear how passion, creativity, and a little boldness can grow into a life rooted in plants and possibility.

Find Katie IRL at Katie Casey Designs in Clear Lake, Iowa, and online at katiecaseydesigns.com. 

Welcome to I Dig Your Story, a podcast where we unearth the personal stories behind the plants, people, gardens, and green spaces that shape our lives.

I’m your host, Ellen Wells, and today’s guest is someone I’ve known for nearly 18 years—Marta Maria Garcia, Head of Product Management and Marketing for Dümmen Orange in North America. Marta Maria and I have been friends and industry colleagues for a long time, but even after all these years, I realized I didn’t really know how she first found her way into the plant world.

In this episode, Marta Maria shares the surprising path that led her from marketing Bacardi in Puerto Rico to building a career in the plant industry in South Florida. We talk about how her background in marketing shaped her approach, the twists and turns of her career, and what drew her to horticulture in the first place.

Stick around to find out:

What “legacy plant” is growing in her backyard

Her favorite flavor from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

And what she plans to do when she wins that massive Powerball jackpot (and yes, I’m definitely going with her)

This one is full of stories, good laughs, and a reminder that everyone in this industry has a unique path worth digging into.

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, I’m joined by Cheri Ruane, Chief Development Officer at Weston & Sampson—and a longtime friend, although exactly how long we’ve known each other is still up for debate. Like many friendships, I realized I didn’t exactly know what Cheri does for a living, but I knew it had something to do with landscape architecture. And honestly—do we ever really know what our friends do all day?

In this episode, we break down what a Chief Development Officer at an engineering firm actually does and how a girl from New Jersey made her way to the C-suite of a Boston-based company, with an important stop working in her cousin’s landscape contracting business along the way.

We also talk about how Cheri learns about new plants, why plant selection matters in public spaces, and the one type of plant she hopes breeders will start producing in abundance for public parks everywhere.

Learn more about Cheri: 

@work - https://www.westonandsampson.com/

Fun stuff - just Google Cheri Ruane ; )