Hi! I’m Jenny Wallentine–Certified Master Gardener, outdoor enthusiast, and owner of beesandroses.com. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, I now call a small town near Park City home where I live with my husband, Dave, and our three Pomeranians. We also spend as much time as we can at our cabin where we snowmobile, hike, and enjoy the mountains at 7500 feet.
I have always loved sports and the outdoors. I was a high school athlete of the year after lettering in four sports: basketball, track, softball, and volleyball. I was preparing to compete at the university level when my mom died at the end of my senior year of high school, so I took an academic scholarship at my local University of Utah so I could help with raising my 14-year-old brother. To help fill some of the hole left in my heart by the loss of my sweet mother, I turned to gardening to find things to plant in the “hole.” The dearest plant in my yard is a rose bush that I bought to decorate her grave, then transplanted (now four times). Roses were special to my mom and this one keeps her close to me.
My three daughters and one granddaughter live close enough to be part of our lives and we love spending time together. I love helping them in their own yards and doing the fun things we enjoy together: skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, and just hanging out together–with good food from the garden!
My start in gardening came as a young girl when I visited the local nursery with my dad. I convinced the owner I would be a great employee and he hired me (at age 11!) to pull all the weeds from the flowers and plants. I loved being in the nursery and, truth be told, that’s my dream job still today: to spend my day in a nursery taking care of plants and helping people find just the right thing for their yard or garden.
I spent 16 years as a single mom, raising my three girls. Dave came along seven years ago, just before I became an empty nester and we have enjoyed our life together. During the years I was single, I earned a living being self-employed, first in the specialty paper business,and later designing and manufacturing high-end wood garage doors. For the last four years, I have “planted, watered, and fertilized” beesandroses.com, a blog that helps you make the most of your yard and garden. My yard is my happy place and I love helping others make the most of theirs, too. Thanks for visiting, and don’t hesitate to keep in touch!