Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nina Melillo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Nina, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
Gardening is in my blood. When my grandfather immigrated from Italy, he created a tiny garden in his small backyard. He grew mostly fig plants and some grape vines. I can remember walking the narrow path between the arches of trees and vines and enjoying picking ripe fruit from the plants.
Mom loved gardening, so Growing up I learned not only the names and varieties of “old-fashioned” flowers, but how to plant and care for them. I was her little helper. She loved poppies and gaillardia. They, along with other varieties of flowers, peppered her front and back gardens that surrounded our home. In addition to flowering plants, she (or my dad with directions from Mom) planted flowering shrubs that bloomed in early spring and lasted through November. We had constant blossoms throughout the season.
Dad enjoyed planting unusual trees and flowers. We owned 3 acres of land which backed up to a large farm full of pear trees. Mostly every tree on our land was planted by my dad. We had varieties of magnolias, tulip trees, holly trees, oaks, maples, willows, mulberries, and so many more. He also loved peonies, so in the one patch of sunshine he planted about 8 peony plants that bloomed every spring.
My aunt, my mom’s sister, lived in Miami and had a beautiful tropical garden full of lush orchids and other tropical treats. It was always a pleasure to walk through her backyard and take in all the wonderful fragrances that wafted through the air. We visited her 2 to 3 times a year and each time I would find something new and magical in her garden.
When I got married I moved away from home, I knew I also wanted to be surrounded by the serenity and beauty of flowering gardens. I continued to create them wherever I lived. I used the skills I had learned from my family and also learned a lot through trial and error. Through observation and travel I have seen outstanding gardens and have taken notice of what makes a pleasing garden, not only to see but to touch and smell, actually using all the senses. In addition to observation, I have also read and researched numerous books and articles on the art of gardening which has helped me to create calming spaces.
Before I retired I taught special needs children. Some would say I had the patience of a saint! After I retired I wanted to do something that would keep me both physically and mentally active. I knew I enjoyed helping others and I loved gardening, So why not merge the two ideas and create a website that would teach beginner gardeners how to create oases that would surround them with beauty and serenity?
So many of my friends and acquaintances have remarked that I have such an amazing green thumb and that they could never grow anything, let alone keep it alive and have it look beautiful. But I know that each and every one of us has the ability to create a beautiful garden if we choose to take the time and be diligent. We just need some encouragement, proper direction and to remember that mistakes are not failures but steps leading you to success. When my plants don’t make it, I throw them in a compost bin and realize they will be useful in a different capacity, so I honestly don’t fret over mistakes.
In my small way through my website, I have developed a method for others to experience the joys of gardening and reap the mental and physical benefits from the act of gardening. Numerous studies confirm the importance of this activity to good health, from its relaxation and calming effects to healthy cardiovascular fitness.
In addition to discussing the nuts and bolts and benefits of gardening in my blog, I have expanded my services by offering actual plans for others to follow in order to establish a garden in their own yards. Many people do not have a vision when given a blank slate or even of how to improve on what they have. After consulting with clients and the submission of pictures of their yards along with exposures, types of soil, etc., I prepare a drawing for my clients to follow. Each drawing explains where, when and how to plant each recommended plant along with instructions on how to maintain them. The project also comes with a shopping list of suggested plants to purchase.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
(The prior page explains how I got into this field and the types of service I provide.)
As I previously stated, I have created numerous gardens starting from scratch and have learned through research, observation, and trial and error. I have traveled extensively through Europe and the USA and have visited many public and private gardens.
My garden has been featured on a garden tour and I have been asked time and again to be on others. I have taught friends and family how to decorate gardens and have them reflect the various seasons and holidays.
A few of my posts have been featured in local magazines. Editors seem to enjoy unusual topics that I explore such as rewilding, learning from plants (including health benefits and how to properly work the land), sustainability and gardening, native plants and the environment, herbs and their uses along with other themes.
What sets me apart from others is my passion for gardening and helping others. I truly believe we are all born with green thumbs and can accomplish a lot more than we give ourselves credit for. I care about our earth and I care about the well-being of people, both adults and children.
Gardening is a perfect release of stress and helps bring people and communities together. It can reduce crime by introducing the value of conservation to urban areas. Many inner cities are considered “biological deserts”, but in reality much can be done to rectify this. Biodiversity can be restored in inner cities by creating green roofs, constructing wetlands, and creating community gardens on vacant lots.
My website does not only contain information on names of flowers, shrubs, trees, etc. and how to grow and care for them, but it also educates people on pertinent topics and current events that effect our earth.
I am most proud of how I created from scratch a gorgeous backyard full of mini gardens, cozy corners, and gathering areas in the home in which I lived in for 26 years. The area began as a blank farm field and ended up as a truly park-like setting.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I am confident in peoples’ ability to grow beautiful gardens, even though most beginning gardeners think they do not have a green thumb and will never achieve one. I get that. There is always doubt in one’s mind as to whether you will succeed when you take on a new endeavor.
Yes, I had wonderful mentors in my life but none of them actually sat down with me and told me how to create a lovely garden setting. So I, too, did not have a green thumb in the beginning. In fact, in the beginning I think I pulled out more plants than I successfully planted! Initially I never gave any thought as to where and why to plant flowers in certain locations. I would wander through nurseries and select “pretty” flowers without regard to planning. As a result, I replanted so many beds! Even to this day I rearrange plants.
This journey was not easy for me and it took many decades to acquire the gardening expertise I now have. But perseverance did prevail. Regardless of how many failures you have and naysayers you encounter, you need to listen to that little voice telling you “if I stop now, I will be so disappointed in myself”. You have to follow your dreams and keep pluggin’ along like the little engine that could.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I was creating my website I followed instructions from a platform that gave me a good foundation. As the years progressed and my website evolved into more and more posts, I kept thinking it looked amateurish rather than professional. I wanted it to be comparable to all the other large gardening sites out in cyberland. After changing the theme numerous times (and really not liking what I saw), I decided to hire someone to improve it and make it more marketable.
After spending more money than I had intended on the initial work, I realized I had been taken for a ride. In order to maintain its professional appearance, I learned that I needed to spend a monthly amount to keep it up to par. This amount was even more than I had originally paid out. Also, after they completed the first stage of the website improvement (at which point I was unaware there were multiple steps to maintain it), I found numerous glitches on my site. I was completely crushed and thought why am I doing this? It actually was less functional now than it had been before I hired this outfit.
I returned the site to my original theme on my own but was still not pleased. After being burned I wanted someone I knew to help me with my site. After finding a friend of a friend, I put my site in his hands for a lot less than I had paid to the other person. He did a nice job. However, after switching from one platform to another we both realized not everything transferred properly.
Talk about resilience……I had to edit every one of my posts, all 130 some! 85% of the links would not work. In addition, many of the pictures did not transfer accurately. This is a gardening website on which I have over a thousand images!
It took me 5 full months to edit all the posts. Now that I have completed that task I am back to writing worthwhile posts for my readers. This was probably the biggest disappointment and most arduous task I had to perform so far with this endeavor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bestgardeningforbeginners.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina.thegardener/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bestgardeningforbeginners/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ninasabina/_created/