Laura Sommers - My Story
I was born and raised in Claverack NY, Columbia County, an area in upstate New York that is abundant with fruit orchards, dairy and horse farms, and an ever increasing number of organic farms. Plants and a love of nature and the outdoors are in my genes. As children, my sisters and I were involved with many chores as our family led a very self-sustaining life. . .from feeding chickens to hauling wood, and much of our time in the summer was spent planting, weeding, and harvesting an enormous vegetable and fruit garden, while helping to freeze, can, and preserve the fruits of our labor.
My dad, a biology & earth science teacher, taught me the joy of observing nature and how to identify everything from trees to weeds, and birds to bugs. Upon retiring he went on to design and build a house himself using all of the wood from trees cut from their woods, hence his nickname "Ken-Do" (he "can do" anything!). My mom was also a teacher and has always been an avid gardener. While still tending to a huge vegetable garden with my dad each year, she also grows many cut flowers, and along with a friend creates home grown flower arrangements for several weddings each summer.
With a college background and earlier career in design and fine arts, I found that landscape design and horticulture were a perfect fit for me as they embraced design and nature, and gave me the wonderful chance to grow and create beautiful ornamental and/or edible gardens for others. Throughout my adult life I have also traveled extensively around the globe, living in places as far away as India and Australia, which exposed me to many different cultures, design esthetics, and ecosystems. All of these experiences and observations have helped shape my own approach to "beautiful and sustainable" garden design and have given me an even greater appreciation for the beautiful Hudson River Valley where I was born & raised and currently live/work.
I was born and raised in Claverack NY, Columbia County, an area in upstate New York that is abundant with fruit orchards, dairy and horse farms, and an ever increasing number of organic farms. Plants and a love of nature and the outdoors are in my genes. As children, my sisters and I were involved with many chores as our family led a very self-sustaining life. . .from feeding chickens to hauling wood, and much of our time in the summer was spent planting, weeding, and harvesting an enormous vegetable and fruit garden, while helping to freeze, can, and preserve the fruits of our labor.
My dad, a biology & earth science teacher, taught me the joy of observing nature and how to identify everything from trees to weeds, and birds to bugs. Upon retiring he went on to design and build a house himself using all of the wood from trees cut from their woods, hence his nickname "Ken-Do" (he "can do" anything!). My mom was also a teacher and has always been an avid gardener. While still tending to a huge vegetable garden with my dad each year, she also grows many cut flowers, and along with a friend creates home grown flower arrangements for several weddings each summer.
With a college background and earlier career in design and fine arts, I found that landscape design and horticulture were a perfect fit for me as they embraced design and nature, and gave me the wonderful chance to grow and create beautiful ornamental and/or edible gardens for others. Throughout my adult life I have also traveled extensively around the globe, living in places as far away as India and Australia, which exposed me to many different cultures, design esthetics, and ecosystems. All of these experiences and observations have helped shape my own approach to "beautiful and sustainable" garden design and have given me an even greater appreciation for the beautiful Hudson River Valley where I was born & raised and currently live/work.
Education & Experience
Rochester Institute of Technology - 1987, BFA, Industrial Design
New York Botanical Gardens Graduate - 2017, Landscape Design and Horticulture/Sustainable LD Additional coursework at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY Initiated and ran a children’s 4-H program in conjunction with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Stonypoint, NY. Member of NOFA(Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association) & Ecological Landscape Alliance |
My mom's beautiful and inspiring flower garden. I learned from a master!