About Chris

Chris began gardening more than 30 years ago with metal coffee cans for pots and coleus the only plant she grew. Now she writes about gardening: the how-to, make-believe and true-life stories. Chris’ muse lives here at this bloggy place called Stay Gardening, for new backyard gardeners and longtime plant collectors alike.

Chris has moved her pots and plants and now writes her stories in the low desert of Arizona. Wherever she has lived, from her native Wisconsin through Midwestern Ohio, Chris has grown potted gardens inside and out. She shares her plant life with her husband and their Dachshund rambling on through their patio garden.

Chris Eirschele has had a professional membership with the Garden Writers Association since 2006.

Chris’ current work may be found at Decoded Plants and through her newest ebook, The Kid-Gardener’s Planting Book for Parents where her writing focused parents and other caregivers with kids who want to garden.

Home Gardening to Horticultural to Garden Travel in Many Media

Chris writes on home garden, horticultural topics and garden travel with equal enthusiasm. From 2012 – 2013, Chris took on the more active role of travel writer at BucketTripper, while always following where garden paths led.

From Ohio Gardener, editor Michelle Byrne Walsh comments, “Chris Eirschele’s gardening articles always include lots of specific hands-on information, but the writing is breezy and easy to follow. I enjoy the way she approaches many different topics and ideas.” Chris was a contributing writer for Ohio Gardener, a magazine publication of State-by-State Gardening.

Chris has been published in a random collection of print and online magazines. She was a contributor on garden topics in Ohio’s travel magazine, Over the Back Fence. In 2009, she created two distinctly different takes on St. Luke’s Medical Center’s healing garden in Milwaukee, where she visited, which were published; in the December issue of Milwaukee Magazine and on Suite101.com “Healing Garden at St. Luke’s Hospital Milwaukee.” 

Geared towards horticultural professionals, Greenhouse Grower published two articles in 2011, written by Chris. It brought her in contact with then editor, Delilah Onofrey saying, “It has been a pleasure working with Chris as an author. I also love her tagline or slogan– Stay Gardening!”

Horticultural Trained Master Gardener Beginnings

“Chris aptly combines her horticulture training, gardening experience and passion, as well as her ability to communicate, in every article she writes. I have watched her develop and grow her career from the first day she sat in one of my horticulture classes and, over the past few years, as she continues to expand her writing portfolio. It’s truly a pleasure and honor to have Chris as a colleague in the garden communications field,” says Melinda Myers.

Representing Milwaukee County Extension Master Gardeners, Chris spoke to groups like Women’s Health Initiative and senior and veteran groups and at a television-station sponsored demonstration garden. Chris pursued a horticultural education at Milwaukee Area Technical College while working as a private gardener for a Hosta enthusiast and selling plants at greenhouse garden centers.

Her past memberships included Southeastern Wisconsin Master Gardeners, Incorporated, for a time as Program Coordinator, the Daylily Society of Southeastern Wisconsin and, while in Ohio, the Metropolitan Columbus Daylily Society. She maintained a membership with the Perennial Plant Association from 2007 through 2011.

Funky Garden Pieces Chris Wrote

Chris occasionally has written one-off pieces that were meant to garner a smile, a smirk or just simply a good feeling.

For BucketTripper.com, she wrote “Turn-about is Fair Play: Garden and Travel Writer Dragged to Eateries in Kansas City.” 

Chris penned “The Arizona Desert: Hide and Seek with a Rattlesnake” in honor of her first encounter with a serious snake.

At theMulch she focused on container gardening, Chris wrote a series of articles on her favorite garden topic.

Garden Interviews by and About the Writer

Chris has been interviewed about her writing, the life and its challenges:

• “In Their Own Words: From Midwest to Southwest With Chris Eirschele” on Through the Greenhouse Glass Blog by Shannon Springer of Proven Winners.
• Working Writers and Bloggers – “Directing Your Brand of Freelance Writing”
• Inspired Pen Writing - “On Being a Garden Writer”