Garden Writer & Journalist
About Erica Browne Grivas
Erica Browne Grivas is a Seattle-based journalist, gardener, and Plant Addicts contributor with experience working in nurseries and as a professional gardener.
Her gardening experience spans both coasts of the United States, and her writing focuses on plants, landscape design, sustainable gardening, and the relationship between people and the natural world.
Erica's feature writing has appeared in The Seattle Times, Horticulture Magazine, and The American Gardener. Her work has received two Garden Communicators International Gold Medals.
Her Approach to Gardening
Erica is especially interested in the relationship between people, plants, and healthy ecosystems. Her gardening philosophy favors plants that perform reliably, require fewer inputs, provide multiple seasons of interest, and offer benefits to pollinators or other wildlife.
As a gardening and wellness columnist, she also enjoys exploring the ways gardens and natural spaces can support human well-being while creating healthier landscapes.
Education and Horticultural Training
Certificate in Landscape Design
The New York Botanical Garden
Gardening & Writing Experience
Erica is a lifelong journalist and avid gardener who has also worked professionally in nurseries and as a gardener.
Her writing has appeared in national and regional publications including The Seattle Times, Horticulture Magazine, and The American Gardener.
She has also written gardening and wellness columns for several Washington newspapers, covering topics related to plants, landscapes, sustainability, and the connection between people and nature.
Writing Recognition
Garden Communicators International Gold Medals
Erica's garden feature writing has received two Gold Medals from Garden Communicators International.
Areas of Expertise
Erica's gardening work focuses on practical, sustainable landscapes that support people, plants, pollinators, and wildlife.
Favorite Plants
Erica especially appreciates plants that support pollinators, provide food, need relatively few inputs, and continue contributing to the garden through multiple seasons.
Salvias are favorites because of their long bloom season, drought tolerance, and value to bees and butterflies. Coral bells provide a wide range of foliage colors and can offer interest even during winter.
Hydrangeas are another favorite because their flowers change throughout the season. Oakleaf hydrangeas can add fall color, while some panicle hydrangeas are especially attractive to pollinators.
Erica also appreciates oak trees for the important role they can play in supporting wildlife and local ecosystems.
Featured Gardening Articles
Erica has contributed Plant Addicts guides covering flowering shrubs, seasonal care, and plant safety.
Winter Care
Arborvitae Winter Care
Seasonal care considerations for protecting arborvitae during winter.
Plant Safety
Are Nandina Poisonous?
Information about nandina toxicity and considerations for growing it around wildlife, pets, and people.