HGTV Gardening Experts

Gardening has always been core to the HGTV brand. After all, it’s in our name. From when we first planted the seed of a new cable network in 1994, to the global brand we’ve grown to be today, we’ve stayed true to our gardening roots. And while trends may have shifted on television shows, gardening has never been more in demand online.

Photo by: © iStockphoto/AleksandarNakic

What We Do

At HGTV digital, our gardening experts publish and update stories daily, bringing you the latest information on gardening trends, how-to-grow information, new plant variety releases, outdoor living ideas, gardening product picks, preserving tips and recipes and so much more. We love learning about new plants, planting techniques and gardening goods, and sharing that info with you.

Who We Are

Our staff editors have deep expertise with gardening both indoors and out — some of us are master gardeners. And our contributing garden writers share their knowledge, grounded in science as well as in years of getting their hands dirty — many earned degrees in horticulture or related fields and have years of hands-on gardening experience. You can trust that HGTV gardening stories are well-researched and rely on facts as well as an abiding passion for gardening.

Staff Garden Editors

Paul Cox

Paul is the manager of editorial operations at HGTV.com. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, Paul has been in digital media for more than 20 years, much of it as an editor covering gardening and home improvement topics. Paul is also a former kayaking instructor and loves to spend time in wild and remote places.

Jacquelyn McGilvray

Jacquelyn has been with HGTV.com since 2008, in that time she’s seen lifestyle trends come and go and come back again. She is a master gardener who enjoys the constant experimentation and learning that gardening brings. When she’s not in the garden, Jacquelyn is probably doing a home improvement project, reading or trying out some new craft.

Kelly Smith Trimble

Kelly is HGTV’s Senior Director of Editorial and Content Strategy, a Master Gardener and the author of multiple books about vegetable gardening. Kelly has 25 years of experience as an editor and writer in home, garden and food media.

Jessica Yonker

Jessica wears many hats (and wigs): She's an editor for HGTV.com, an HGTV Handmade contributor, a wrangler of over 30 houseplants, a Chopped contestant-in-training and a professional glitter handler. Like her mother, she's obsessed with lamps, mirrors and microfiber throws. Unlike her mother, she has an unexplained aversion to chalkboard paint. You can typically find her somewhere dancing, covered in potting soil.

Contributing Garden Writers

Gloria Ballard

A native of Nashville, Gloria was a feature writer and editor at "The Tennessean" before becoming a freelance writer, covering fashion, home design, gardening, and travel. She also writes creative fiction and non-fiction and runs her own gardening blog.

Lynn Coulter

Lynn Coulter is a contributing writer for HGTV and the author of Gardening with Heirloom Seeds, Mustard Seeds (Publisher’s Weekly starred review) and Little Mercies. She has freelanced about homes and gardens, travel and lifestyles for Travel Channel, Southern Living, Delta Sky, Better Homes & Gardens and many other publications.

Felicia Feaster

Felicia Feaster is a contributing writer at HGTV.com with a deep passion for travel, design and gardening. She is a longtime lifestyle journalist with a specialty in film, art, design and garden writing. She is the winner of multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Garden Writers Association.

Julie Martens Forney

Julie is an enthusiastic gardener with a passion for year-round color. She loves sharing her 25+ years of gardening experience which she got living in the Midwest, Florida, the Appalachian Mountains and the Susquehanna River basin. She writes garden and lifestyle articles for various publications and websites.

Amanda Plante

A professional horticulturist who has worked for the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (among other public gardens), Amanda is a lecturer for the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee, where she earned a B.S. and M.S. in plant sciences. Her personal mission is to serve her community and promote environmental stewardship.

Hannah Ross

A gardener and floral designer in Raleigh, North Carolina, Hannah has led community, educational, and production garden programs for over a decade. She earned her B.A. in communication studies from Clemson University and her M.A. in environmental studies with a focus on sustainable agriculture from Brown University.

Stacy Tornio

Stacy Tornio is a writer and author based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She's proud to be both a master naturalist and master gardener, and she was also an editor for Birds & Blooms magazine for 10 years.