Meet Katarzyna Wrobel of Crazy Plant Nanny in Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katarzyna Wrobel.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Katarzyna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I welcome you all with a warm smile on my face to a story …This story began over forty years ago, in Szczecin. The city that to this day is closest to my heart. My parents were expecting a boy but instead, they got a girl, me…and from that moment on my life was a bit of an uphill battle. I always went about the world my own way, not necessarily the easy way but my way nonetheless. And a lot happened along the way, sometimes the wind blew my sails and things got hard, but no one did promise that life was going to be easy.

After one of the bigger storms of life that blew winds against my sails passed, I found myself far from home. In the USA. I’ve been living in the town of Tempe in Arizona ever since 2010. Here we have, our own little space, a house with a garden, in which I have the opportunity to, with lots of joy, raise my two daughters and share the affections and happiness of life with my husband. To me, he is my anchor and my hope but most of all, a wonderful father for our children.

The plants, garden, the earth – they were always a part of my life. There’s a part of me that ever since the beginning felt the draw towards nature, to that more beautiful, innocent part of life. I have the soul of a romantic, that due to the relentless ways of life is forced to hide behind a wall, a glass wall so to speak…only a select few know me hiding behind that wall. Now I wanted to start over, open another chapter, where I use all the lessons I learned in life, all the hurdles of life that I got through, and all the storms I survived as stepping stones to pave my way to a new beginning, one where I start off wiser. With the first step came fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of a new country, of a new culture of a language barrier.

Things I’ve never faced before, but I refused to turn back. Instead, I set up a goal, the first one on this journey. It was to run a marathon. That in itself, to me, was an abstract idea. Something that I saw, knew but never touched, never done. But I said to myself if I can reach that goal surely it can reach and, not only survive but, prevail any other that follows it and that it will be possible for me to thrive in this new place. And guess what?! I did it! Year after year I felt surer of myself. I still miss my home, Poland, and everything else that I hold close to my heart, but life moves on. It doesn’t stop to comfort us during our trials; therefore I never stop either I continue on forward and pave my path.

The limited time that I have I divide between my home, garden, and work. Now, I understand why some say that the days are too short. All of this is like 24 hours 24/7 shift. As my own personal sanctuary, a place where I escape the stress, everyday noise, and exhaustion. And fulfill the need of having something that belongs solely to me, a place in which I can get lost in for hours. I started, from scratch, our garden. Like most gardens here out in the desert, it was an empty canvas, a blank slate just asking to be filled with colors and life. Day to day. Week to week. Month to month, I began gathering knowledge on how to create a garden full of life in this desert climate. This climate is relentless and unforgiving to even the slightest mistakes. Even with its rough nature if you listen to the clues, it gives you and follows its lead, instead of battling against it. It will show you the gates beyond which it will introduce you to a garden straight from fairy tales. If you observe carefully to the way you are lead, you can be happy and draw energy from your garden for 365 days of the year. At first, one has to realize how bizarre gardening is in the desert climate. How different is the knowledge needed to keep the plants alive in this area (aka lower desert)? In this sunny valley. I bought the appropriate books and from there meticulously scrutinized them for their priceless knowledge. When that knowledge was gathered. I ran out to the garden barely containing my excitement and began putting that knowledge into practice. The results varied. It was like a rollercoaster – Sometimes it worked other times I suffered failure repeatedly. I’m still learning, every day, every plant. And I gather everything I learn and wait with the naiveness of a little girl as to where life will lead me now.

Following the philosophy of “You reap what you sow” after more and more success, I wanted to put more and more into my garden. My inner willingness to learn drove me to pursue even more knowledge. Step by step, a bit timidly a new idea began to take root in my head – Master Gardener Program. I read about it first and the chance to take part struck a note in my heart, but for the longest time, I was not confident enough to take part. I dared not think that I could participate in a full-on English lectures, that I possess enough courage to go out and share my knowledge with others. It took me two years before I sent out my application to join…And guess what? I got in! I took a shot in the dark and then followed through which led to beginning of the Master Gardener Program, I signed up for a gardening course through Desert Botanical Garden of Phoenix – called Sustainable Desert Landscape. And through hard work in two courses but also in balancing everyday life of work, home, and now school I DID IT. After three months of tight schedules, lectures, and a ton of volunteering I obtained a certificate naming me an officially certified Master Gardener in Maricopa County as well as through the Desert Landscape School obtained the Sustainable Desert Landscape certificate.

And even now, I continue to learn at Desert Landscape School working towards my Desert Ecology and Plant Biology Certificate. I help out as a volunteer in re-newing West Alice Community Garden in Phoenix and try to share my passion with others through my Facebook and Instagram pages as well as my new Blog. At the start of 2019, I launched my own micro-family business – Crazy Plant Nanny which provides garden/gardening and plant services.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. I live in a place completely different from my home country with a language barrier. But the bright side is that along the way I’m meeting people who are willing to help out as well as constantly being able to rely on my family which is also my greatest motivation.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Crazy Plant Nanny – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
What distinguishes my company the most against the market/competition is that I propagate sustainable gardening in our Valley of Sun with less pollution solution to our environment and less labor required to up-keep gardens, smart plant selection, and organic approach. The IPM is the first solution when approaching pest problems.

If I had to define my company’s philosophy in one sentence, I’ll quote this quote:

Sustainability is not about doing “less bad” It is about doing “more good”. – ASU School of Sustainability

Any predictions for the industry over the next few years?
I would love to be independent. In the sense that I will be able to survive by doing what I love – gardening. I want to continue to learn in order to be able to help my clients even better, more professionaly. My dream is to finish the entire training cycle at Desert Landscape School and become a credential holder.

It’s a visible trend on the market that we are looking for more and more “green solutions” in our lives. Which is also noticeable in the growing offer of internal gardens (indoor gardening) and urban gardens movement. Perhaps some will find it difficult to understand, but for me the gardens are magical. It’s such a “me place on earth” giving me extra energy and joy. With this feeling, I want to be able to share with my future clients.

And even more so through out the future I would love to further expand my growing platform on Instagram @crazyplantnanny, as a way to share the ever-growing enthusiasm in gardening, not only by me but also by others. I would love for it to be a space of inspiration for anyone and everyone who is looking for even a little bit of green in their life. Another goal is of mine is to expand the garden coaching as a way to share and spread the magical love of plants.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.crazyplantnanny.com
• Phone: (623) 500 7302
• Email: crazyplantnanny@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyplantnanny/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazyplantnanny/
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GardensofPhoenix/about/

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