Meet Anne Washington | Education Advocate & Creative Guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anne Washington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anne, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Entrepreneurship was instilled in me at a young age. I was fortunate to have a family that believed in being creative and industrious. Starting my own business felt instinctual, and natural. I thrive on the challenge of bringing my ideas to fruition. I need the independence of being “my own boss.” And it seems that the best way to be financially successful is to create my own opportunities.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I guide people to discover more about their own abilities. I help bridge the gap between potential and performance.

We all need a coach or a trainer. We all need someone to help us face our fears and find ways to work through them. I help people see that they have the ability to grow something even if they think they have a black thumb. People have the ability to nurture and care for life and enjoy the reward of their work. We are all born with certain gifts and talents, but it is rare that one person is gifted at everything. The wonderful part about being human is that whatever skill or gift we lack, we can learn it. It may take time and practice. Having a guide can help expedite the process and make learning enjoyable by adding new dimensions to our lives.

Unlike most gardening instructors who teach a class or post a video and then are done with you, I stick with my students all along their gardening journey. I build relationships and a sense of community with garden enthusiasts so we can keep learning together and celebrate together. I have gardened for more than 20 years and I am still learning new things.

I started as a garden newbie once too. I struggled. I experimented. I had wins and failures. I did most of it alone. Looking back, I realize that I could have been far more successful sooner if I had a gardening partner or two to ask for advice and to share my wins.

I was inspired to start gardening by the Square Foot Gardening TV show on Discovery Channel way back in the day. The host and creator, Mel Bartholomew, was warm, friendly, and down to earth. He demystified all aspects of gardening and made it simple and easy to do, even for newbies. His enthusiasm strengthened my confidence in my own abilities and gave me the motivation to get up and try this whole gardening thing again myself.

Some years later, I learned about his nonprofit organization, the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. This foundation offered a course not only in basic Square Foot Gardening, but had a special program to train individuals to teach this method to others. I signed up and became a certified instructor. That was way back in 2011.

For years I taught the method to garden clubs and at public libraries. I taught anyone who wanted to learn. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we were all under lockdown, I was blessed with the opportunity to take Square Foot Gardening online and teach classes virtually.

With life reving up for the world once again, I was inspired to launch www.plantlivegrow.com. Through my website, I provide resources for all who are interested in gardening. I especially encourage teachers and group leaders to learn the SFG technique themselves and bring it into their classrooms, camps, and community organizations.

I realize that gardening is more than a leisure art or hobby. Supply chain and food quality issues continue to plague us. Many are still limiting social contact. Many of us have developed a “lockdown spread” and need to lose some weight and get back in shape, so nutrition is on people’s minds.

All of these woes can be eased with a vibrant home garden. Not only does gardening relieve stress, but it also gives families a project to cultivate together. You know what is (and what is not) sprayed on your food. You can grow herbs, flowers, fruit, and vegetables. You can save on your grocery bill. The flavor of homegrown food is far and away superior to anything you’ve tasted from the supermarket. And if things get really tight, you can make your own soup or tea from what you have growing in your garden. Optimally one dish a day should come from the garden, improving nutrition and supporting the household’s health management.

I invite all to join me and become my garden buddy. Take a chance. Plant a seed. Live life and enjoy it. Keep growing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a good friend were to spend the week with me I would start with a tour of my garden. Early morning is my favorite time. The flowers are moist with dew, the birds are singing, and the breeze is cool and soothing. Next, we would grab some brunch at my favorite spot, City Cafe and Bakery in Fayetteville, and load up on some of those delicious pastries. Then we would spend the rest of the afternoon marathon shopping at every discount, thrift, and clearance sale we can find.

Lunch is going to be at a place neither of us has been to before. We all need adventure. I’ve been wanting to try Kobe Japanese Steak House in Peachtree City. And dinner is back at my place with steaks thrown on the grill next to sweet potatoes and other homegrown veggies. Rinse and repeat daily. Somewhere in that madness, we will have to take in the usual tourist sites, the Georgia Aquarium, the High Museum for Jazz Nite, and a hike up Stone Mountain. Then end the week with a day at a spa for a massage and to get our nails done.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I thank God Almighty for all that I am and all I have received. I thank him for loving me first and for the guidance his Word gives to my life. I am grateful for my grandmother, Ruth Bass, who always challenged my thinking in the most loving way and who inspired me to reach new levels of creativity and personal achievement.

I give a shout-out to my father, Ronald Brown, for providing me with numerous opportunities to be educated and for teaching me to have a business mindset. And I give a shout-out to my mother, Ruth Brown, for always being my biggest fan, cheerleader, and shoulder to cry on when things don’t go my way.

Shout out to my family, my tribe, and all my dear friends who have surrounded me with love, support, and encouragement. Thank you.

Website: www.plantlivegrow.com

Instagram: @plantlivegrow

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-washington-783a10217/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/592754180734930