Marianne's favorite plant discovery came from a visit to her great-grandfather who lived nearby. It was there in her great-grandmother's neglected garden that she discovered the purple primrose, and she has been in love with the flower ever since. During this particular visit, she took some purple primrose out of the ground and hid them in a coat pocket until she could plant them at home in her own garden. Showcasing the primrose in her own garden allowed her to honor her family's Italian heritage.

Her passion for all things nature and gardening followed Marianne throughout high school and well into her college years. In high school, she read every book she could about gardening. She even took specialized courses for botany and horticulture. Marianne's love life was also blossoming as well. At Washington University, she married her high school sweetheart while majoring in horticulture and started a family soon after she graduated.

With all of the newfound joy and energy that comes with starting a family, Marianne knew that full-time work was not going to be for her. Having plenty of related experience from working at florists and nurseries, she decided to get creative. After being asked so many planting questions during one of her part-time jobs, she got the idea to go to the local newspaper about starting up a gardening column.

With her three children all grown up now, Marianne continues to stay as busy as ever! Her news column is published by 20 national papers and she now handles the Q&A section for the HGTV website. A wealth of experience and gardening knowledge has allowed her to author eight books of various regional and national topics. Her most recent work can be found under the title, Best Garden Plants for Washington and Oregon. She continues to teach locally at community colleges and school districts, on subjects of literacy and gardening. She contributes educationally to her alma mater, teaching the next generation of master gardeners at Washington State University. Marianne has also found her way to the local airwaves, appearing as a guest on local radio and TV gardening programs. Other activities included arranging garden trips around the world and appearing in a pilot as host for the show "The Worst Yard on the Block."

Staying true to her personal gardening motto "Don't fight mother nature," Marianne somehow still finds time to enjoy her own gardening. She now yields an impressive shaded two-acre garden that is planned around plants that are most accustomed to thriving in her region. Plants such as Fuchsias, Clematis, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and others all are very successful in this location. Marianne also maintains five raised growing beds for cool season crops such as peas, lettuce, and green bean varieties.

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