Meet the Plant Doctor...Melinda Myers

Visit Melinda's Web site here.

There's no such thing as a typical day for Melinda. Awake some days as early as 4 a.m., Melinda says it seems like she's always writing something for somebody. Her work has even taken here across the globe, to places like the Netherlands and Zimbabwe.

So how did this plant doctor get her start?

Melinda's experience with horticulture goes way back to the days growing up in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, while spending many weekends at her grandparents' farm. Her father had an extravagant vegetable garden, but Melinda was relegated to deadheading petunias.

By the second grade, Melinda could already name the parts of a plant. By high school, she knew she was on the right path.

"In 10th grade, most people dissect frogs in science class," she says. "I dissected plants."

Her interest in plants continued to grow, leading her to a master's degree in horticulture. She's also a certified arborist and started the Master Gardener program in Milwaukee.

Melinda has shared her expertise through a variety of media. In addition to answering your questions in Birds & Blooms and Birds & Blooms EXTRA, Melinda has written several books, hosts Great Lakes Gardener on PBS, writes a column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Backyard Living magazine, holds planting clinics and lectures, and has taught horticulture classes at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

When Melinda's not writing or answering questions, she's in her own backyard, weeding and watering. Transforming her entire small-space yard into a garden, Melinda often enlists the help of her daughter, Nevada.

"She's a great weeder," Melinda says.

Melinda admits her garden isn't perfect. She's even grown a few weeds in her day, battling persistent backyard ribbon grass for 15 years. She says gardening is still a learning experience for her. Even after 27 years of writing and teaching, there's always a gardener with a new question.

"Some women get flowers," Melinda says. "People bring me dead plants and insects."