Women of Prescott Q&A
Prescott Woman Magazine chatted with Janet Wilson, a gardener and entrepreneur, to find out what makes her enjoy Prescott and everything it has to offer.
PWM: How long have you lived in Prescott?
Janet: 13 years.
PWM: Why did you choose Prescott as your home?
Janet: I moved from Vermont to Prescott to attend Prescott College in 2008 and kept meeting wonderful people who inspired and supported me to have confidence in myself and pursue my goals. The unique community here, in combination with the beauty of the high desert, made me fall in love with this place.
PWM: What’s your occupation?
Janet: I am a gardener who focuses on growing food and pollinator gardens for residents and businesses in the Prescott area. We use organic practices for amending and fertilizing the soil, as well as for pest and disease control. We aim to educate our clients to grow and maintain healthy gardens by building healthy soil using compost and mulch, as well as appropriate watering practices with drip irrigation systems.
PWM: What are your hobbies?
Janet: I love working with plants, hiking in the forest, swimming in creeks and natural water, cooking for friends and family, playing music, and foraging for wild foods.
PWM: Do you have any kids?
Janet: I have a nine-month-old puppy and a lot of plant babies!
PWM: What is your favorite thing about living in the Prescott area?
Janet: The beautiful wildlands that surround our city, the abundance of live music, the welcoming community, and we have a fabulous farmers market.
PWM: How do you think Prescott enhances your occupation and hobbies?
Janet: There are a lot of like-minded plant appreciators in this community! Whether it’s houseplants, native plants, growing food, pollinator gardens, or beautiful flower gardens, I have found so many people that I connect with all over town!
PWM: Are you working on anything new or exciting for the upcoming year?
Janet: This past spring, I collaborated with Kathleen Yetmen, the director of the Prescott Farmers Market, and Ruthie Hewitt and Martha Baden, librarians at the Prescott Public Library, to start up the Prescott Seed Library. Our mission is to inspire our community to experience the pleasure of gardening by providing access to seeds and the knowledge needed to grow them successfully. Anyone with a Prescott Public Library card can check out seeds the way they would a book and take them home to grow them in their gardens. Our next step with the project is to work with local farmers and home gardeners to save seeds in order to replenish the library with seeds that are adapted to our region.
PWM: If you could contribute to anything in the Prescott area, what would it be and why?
Janet: I would love to create a community learning garden where there would be a combination of garden plots that could be rented for the season as well as a small farm run by passionate garden educators that can be a field trip destination for surrounding schools and used for afterschool programs. Kids could spend the day getting their hands in the soil, working with plants, and learn about composting and growing and raising food. Providing a space for people of all ages to the garden would create endless opportunities for interpersonal growth, community connection, and cultivating a stronger connection with the region within which we live.
Learn more about Janet’s work at www.prescottgardener.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook @prescottgardener to see what projects she’s working on currently! Contact Janet directly at 518.424.3205 or [email protected].