Kim Toscano Holmes  

Hailing from Region 5 in Oklahoma, Kim Holmes has been a GardenComm member since 2007! When Kim transitioned from a "cozy job with a salary and benefits" to freelancing, the connections she made through GardenComm helped to make it all possible. Kim says, "When I first started out, I met 100% of my clients via GardenComm. Those working relationships have allowed me to reach large audiences and grow my clientele."

 A writer, graphic designer, and artist, Kim creates regionally focused content on a diversity of topics relevant to gardening in hot southern gardens. You'll find her articles in magazines like Fine Gardening and Southern Living, where her work with Southern Living Plant Collection has allowed her to bring her passion for design to its readers. Kim takes a holistic approach to gardening and landscaping, working in harmony with the natural environment. This includes following sustainable gardening practices, careful water management, and enhancing landscape biodiversity.

Kim has always been interested in gardening for wildlife, but after getting into birding during the pandemic, she has taken a deeper dive into wildscaping. In the last two years, she added over 100 native plant species to her garden, including a variety of fruiting trees and shrubs. "I'm already seeing a greater diversity of bird and insect life." Says Kim, "This project has fueled many articles related to native plant materials, gardening for birds, and designing for diversity."

When asked to share something unique and interesting about herself, Kim shared this story: 

 "Jens Jensen was a landscape architect who worked for the Chicago Park District from the 1880s through 1920's before establishing a private practice. Though I grew up benefiting from the beauty and nature of one of his forward-thinking legacies, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, I didn't know who he was until the 2011 GardenComm conference in Indianapolis, where we visited one of the many private residences he designed.

In preparation for that conference, I delved into Jensen and his uniquely North American aesthetic, dubbed the Prairie Style, which placed nature above all else, integrating not only native plants but topography and geographic features into his designs. I've since visited a number of his remaining landscapes, including the Lincoln Memorial Garden in Springfield, Illinois.

What I find remarkable about his designs is that many of his plantings took decades to mature into the vision he had for them. In our modern world of instant gratification, we could all learn from his ability to think beyond the here and now to make decisions - in gardening and in life - that will benefit generations to come."

You'll find Kim online at kimtoscano.com and on Facebook @kimtoscanoearthbound.