I am a native Washingtonian who is rooted in the earth. I am a garden writer, Great Garden Speaker, Garden Visionary and truly believe in embracing the beauty that surrounds us each and every day. I write about my observations in the wonderful world of gardening on my blog, Cottage In The Court.

I attended the University of Maryland, fell in love, and became an at-home Mom. After becoming a Central Rappahannock Master Gardener in Fredericksburg, Virginia, I worked as a Water Wise Gardening Representative for the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Senior Gardener for the City of Fredericksburg, and owned a small landscape maintenance firm. I moved back to the Washington, DC area, started blogging, and garden coaching as Cottage In the Court. I help people imagine the possibilities of how to utilize their green spaces to fit their needs. Currently, I am honing my skills as a freelance writer, author, speaker, and keeping myself busy as I create a specialty cut flower garden at my home. I want to share what I find beautiful with as many people as possible.

I am proud of my sharecropping southern roots and firmly believe that we, as African Americans can #growmorethancollards. We can also write about how we interpret the gifts of this earth.

From urban gardens to estates, our hands create the beauty that represents who we are. What does your garden say to you How do you want to feel when you have nature at your fingertips?

Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine and hosts the popular GardenDC Podcast. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable. Her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration.

She is also the editor of the Water Garden Journal (IWGS), The Azalean (ASA), and Fanfare, for the local daylily society.

She is also currently the Green Media columnist for the Mid-Atlantic Grower newspaper, where she does a great deal of hand-holding and coaxing to get independent garden centers, plant breeders, and other horticultural businesses to join the social media revolution and maximize their online brands.

She is president of the Silver Spring Garden Club and on the board of several other horticultural clubs and organizations.

Kathy’s work has been featured in numerous area publications including the Takoma Voice, Washington Examiner newspaper, Pathways Magazine, and Washington Women magazine. In addition, she appears on regular gardening guest spots on Channel 9, Channel 4, and WAMU radio in Washington, DC.

She speaks on gardening and has been honored to have presented programs at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, the University of Maryland, and the Historic Society of Washington, DC. Audiences both large and small enjoy hearing her on topics as varied as Dealing with Deer to Small-Space Gardening. For reviews of her recent speaking engagements, see her listing at the Great Garden Speakers web site (http://greatgardenspeakers.com/listing/kathy-jentz-4c818b5cdacc5.html).

Specialties:

Local Regional Gardening in the Mid-Atlantic

Speaking

Garden Writing

Lifestyle Writing

Editing

Social Media

Her pronouns are she/her/hers.

Last name pronounced: like "jets" with an "n" inserted before the "ts."