Welcome to the launch of the Fine Gardening Online Forum.  As one of the Midwest Region moderators I want to share a little bit about myself and my love of horticulture.  I have been playing with plants since I was a child. My grandfather was a forester in the Ukraine before the second World War, so I come to this profession naturally.  Using my degrees in Fine Art and Sociology to design outdoor living spaces, I create socially interactive environments while integrating plants into the design, not just surrounding it.  I love mixing textures, more so than color and am a sucker for Hostas, Hellebores, and anything with a really interesting leaf. I find that somewhat odd since my other passion is quilting and I am known for using crazy color combinations in my quilts.