Hi! My name is Elizabeth Wingfield Pollino and I am the founder and owner of Rose & Bee, LLC. I am also a passionate, some may say obsessed gardener and landscaper. I am currently stewarding a small urban garden in Houston, Texas. That puts me in USDA zone 9b and my Texas ecoregion is the Northern Humid Gulf Coast Prairies. In short, I garden in a hot and humid region of the United States. We have mild, wet winters, and hot, dry summers where it doesn’t rain for months. But this area has been my home for over four decades and it has taught me so much about gardening and living in harmony with nature.

When I started Rose & Bee, I wanted to have a place I could cultivate my love for gardening and share that joy with others. I have been gardening my whole life but it was only in the past few years that I focused my energy on educating myself about the science and art of growing plants and soil biology. I believe that my role as the steward of the land and plant grower is to improve the conditions for nature to do its thing. One of my favorite farmers, Jessie Frost, says in his book, The Living Soil Handbook, “My job - indeed, the job of any grower- is not to grow food but rather to facilitate that growth… We simply make the conditions right for crops to grow and make food- this is the literal definition of cultivation.”

I would not be where I am today if it were not for the hundreds of other growers, farmers, gardeners, horticulturalists, conservationists, and naturalists who have generously shared their wisdom and knowledge. I am primarily self-taught and learn from experiences as well as trial and error. I consider myself a voracious reader of gardening literature and listener of podcasts. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t work for me and my garden. I can admit I have made my fair share of mistakes and killed many plants along the way. No matter how many seeds I plant, I still get excited when I see the tiny green sprouts peeking out of the soil! I hope to share my journey with others and I hope that everyone can experience the many pleasures of cultivation.

Certifications

Native Landscape Certified by the Native Plant Society of Texas

Land Care Institute (LCI) Certified Professional by the Houston Botanic Garden

Active Memberships

Native Plant Society of Texas- Houston Chapter Member

Houston Botanic Garden Member

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Member

American Horticultural Society (AHS) Member

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Member