Trisha Shirey spent over 35 years as a commercial landscape gardener in Austin, Texas. She was the head gardener at the Chancellor of the University of Texas System's residence, the Bauer House. Later she spent 33 years as the director of flora and fauna at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, TX, and was the designer of their award-winning organic herb and vegetable gardens and organic orchard. She was featured on the KLRU-TV program Central Texas Gardener, and is an active speaker on organic gardening, native plants, wildflowers, xeriscaping, and natural pest control. Now retired, Trisha is starting a new garden project on a large property that is a blank canvas. Deep, sandy, loam soil with lots of sun and no deer, rock squirrels, or root knot nematodes are a recipe for a future garden paradise.