Developing Personal Style with Helen Yoest

This Week's Podcast: A Replay: Building Brave Gardeners with Helen Yoest

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There aren’t many books that one might say are on the subject of garden philosophy. Helen Yoest has written one that appears to be on garden design, but it is a different kind of how-to book; it is more like a self-help book filled with affirmations and suggestions on how to build a gardener’s belief in himself or herself.
Gardening with Confidence is her way of encouraging people to channel their inner gardenista – a powerful, self-assured nature lover who seeks to create a sustainable, organic, wild-life-friendly green oasis that expresses who they are and takes time to enjoy it. She supports her vision with her blog.
It sounds like a tall order, to garden with confidence when so many of us spend most of our time asking questions, wondering who will judge us – whether it be neighbors or nature. These are the kinds of things that affect all artists – something Helen knows all to well. For example, we talk about ways to master the daunting undertaking of placing art in the garden. She shares her thoughts on these issues and, other topics that interest this writer: like garden art and the secret lives of plants.
Helen’s next project (Plants with Benefits) is about the arousing history, lore and ethnobotany of 50 plants with sex appeal. These species have been considered to have aphrodisiacal properties from ancient times to today. She tells the stories of familiar plants with something extra.
Do you know why the avocado was considered dangerous and even shrouded from view? Tune in.