My Story

Debbie

Debbie Notaro

Certified Horticulturist and Landscape Designer, Owner of My Secret Garden on Springwood Lane

Experience Does Matter...

With a lifelong passion for gardening, my expertise grew over many years under the stewardship of my parents and grandparents; learning the old-fashioned way by trial and error. As the years progressed, I immersed myself by becoming involved with organizations that promote gardening and schools that taught the fine art of landscape design.  

At the University of California, I earned a Master Gardener Certification. My education continued to become certified in Horticulture and Landscape Design and Construction at the College of DuPage.  

  • Being a former master gardener was one of the pleasures of my life and a place I learned a great deal about how to share the love and lessons of gardening. Teaching, garden coaching, and consultation are a natural fit.
  • Garden design is a goal that has been accomplished over many years of my life but in the last 10 years has become a reality. Shortly after My Secret Garden was established, I was fortunate to be selected to design a garden for the 2007 Luxury Home Show. Currently creating landscape designs, both large and small, for gardens throughout the Chicagoland and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin areas. It is my privilege to design for and work with my clients.
  • Custom container design has become one of the important aspects of My Secret Garden services. Fashioning seasonal containers for my client's garden or office adds an element of interest to enhance curb appeal and the stature of their homes and places of business.

Other Interests

  • Having been a columnist for Chicagoland Gardening Magazine kept me in the loop of what new trends are on the horizon, the best advice from local nurseries, find interesting and fun nurseries to visit and give the readers general information about garden walks, garden clubs, and other news in the Far Western Suburban area.
  • Being a former president of the Geneva Garden Club has given me the opportunity to educate members and the public about gardening. The club's mission is to raise funds to educate, beautify our community, reforest the park district, sponsor the Kane County Master Gardeners, and a scholarship program each year.  

"One lifetime is never enough to accomplish one's horticultural goals. If a garden is a site for the imagination, how can we be very far from the beginning?" ~Francis Cabot Lowell