Kaitlyn Hayes

Kaitlyn is a contributing editor for Garden Gate, Horticulture, and Fine Gardening magazines and a budding plant enthusiast based in Connecticut. Kaitlyn grew up in her grandmother's garden, but really caught the gardening bug when she started amassing a collection of cacti and succulent houseplants. But Kaitlyn’s garden challenges and experiences are a little outside the box… She takes her potted plants and brings them on the road with her in a self-converted campervan. Making plants mobile comes with all sorts of obstacles, but the added work allows her to visit public gardens and experience the beauty of plants in nature all over North America.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED...

Don't sweat the small stuff. This old adage applies to gardening the same as it applies to anything else in life. Some of your plants will fail and that's OK. It doesn't make you a bad or unsuccessful gardener.

Those "easy" plants need more maintenance than you think. One gardener's easy-care plant can be another's nuisance. No plant is completely maintenance free - including drought-loving cacti. Do your research before making a big investment.

Follow the road less traveled Big botanical gardens are fabulous sources of inspiration, but there are so many smaller public gardens that are equally as exciting if only a little harder to find. Go outside the box and seek out the garden destinations that are a little further off the beaten path, but just as worthy of your time.