Hi there, I'm Lorene Edwards Forkner. I live a garden-based life in the Pacific Northwest, specifically in an old house near the beach in West Seattle, (USDA 8). This tiny plot is my living workshop and testing ground where I pursue seasonal pleasures, delicious flavors, and creative experimentation.
Like many of us with dirty nails and decidedly non-fashion-forward tan lines, my garden journey has been circuitous. In the mid 90s, my passionate love of plants led to owning and operating a small specialty nursery. There I discovered a community of like-minded souls for whom every flower, bulb, grass, and twig was a constant source of wonder and possibility. I also spent several years working in garden design helping others, like me, who needed to organize their growing collections into pleasing spaces.
These days, my work has more to do with tending gardeners—encouraging collaboration with natural systems and respect for the precious wildness all around us. More than just a seasonal pasttime, our gardens provide a creative outlet, personal respite, a connection with nature, and foster more livable communities.
Photo: Mary Grace Long Photography
“I believe Gardening matters”
Nearly every week my stories appear in the GROW column in The Seattle Times where I explore the gardens and gardeners of the Pacific Northwest.
I am the author of several books, and am over the moon excited about my latest, Color In and Out of The Garden, from Abrams.
You can catch me teaching online at Creativebug where I have a daily practice series focused on recording color in the natural world
You’ll also find me in the pages of The Earth in Her Hands, 75 Extraordinary Women Working the World of Plants, by Jennifer Jewell.
In 2019, Debra Prinzing interviewed me for the Slow Flowers Podcast. Listen along as we discuss Learning to See Color, one of my favorite topics!