Cultivating Connections: How Vicky's Gardening Journey Inspires Personal Branding

This nature lover recalls being taught how to care for the environment in the Philippines.

Vickey proudly displays her carefully cultivated Buddha's hand fruit in a vibrant garden setting.

Meet Victoria Maramag Raniel, or Vicky, a talented gardener in Sunnyvale, California. Her backyard garden offers a tranquil, shady space with paths winding through flower beds and ornamental shrubs. Daily, she tends to her garden, removing weeds, thinning seedlings, and trimming geraniums with her tools at hand. She especially loves the hummingbirds that visit, enjoying the shallow fountains she built for them.

Over the past two years, Vicky's garden has transformed into a charmingly chaotic space, resembling a botanical art project.She attributes this to the extended winters exacerbated by the Covid-19 lockdowns, during which she spent countless hours in her garden, buying an excess of plants, painting ladybugs on bowling balls (because why not?), and transforming used bottles into trees—because if you can't recycle your wine bottles, did you even have a party? Yet, she cherishes her 1,000-square-foot green space, which is home to bees in one corner and birds she has formed connections with—yes, she’s basically a Disney princess at this point. A stately pineapple guava tree provides a shady canopy for the sitting Buddha facing her home, ensuring that even the Buddha is getting some quality time with nature. At its base lies a small piece of driftwood from the severe flooding in the Philippines, a poignant reminder of the devastation wrought by climate change—because Vicky believes in keeping things both beautiful and thought-provoking.

The Great American Gardening Obsession

The American passion for gardening fuels a horticulture industry valued at approximately $47 billion annually. That’s right—gardening is not just a hobby; it’s a multi-billion-dollar love affair! A survey by the National Gardening Association revealed that in 2020, US households spent an average of $503 on lawn and garden expenses, primarily for home improvement and maintenance. This trend is likely to persist as more people work remotely, investing in both outdoor spaces and indoor plants. Like many others, Vicky orders her plants online but also cultivates them from seeds donated by her neighbors to the local library. Yes, you heard it right—she’s not just growing plants; she’s fostering a community of green-thumbed rebels who are taking back their gardens one heirloom seed at a time!

Butterflies, Bees, and A Garden of Wonders

Vicky’s garden is home to a wide variety of pollinators. To draw in monarch butterflies, she reached out to the Santa Clara library for milkweed seeds, aware that native types are better than tropical ones. Known for their vibrant orange colors, monarch butterflies are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)—essentially a call for help, indicating they're in danger. Vicky has planted milkweed and other nectar plants in her garden and set up nesting boxes to offer food and shelter for monarchs and other pollinators, with the goal of reducing environmental harm. This delightful spot resembles a hotel for butterflies, providing a peaceful sanctuary complete with all the necessary amenities.

Water Conservation: Drought-Defying Strategies

However, residing in drought-stricken California poses challenges. To conserve water while maintaining a thriving garden, Vicky has devised some clever solutions. She collects rainwater in six 55-gallon barrels for watering her plants—because who needs a swimming pool when you can have a rainwater reservoir? She groups plants with similar needs together to water them at the same frequency, practices mulching to retain soil moisture, and waters in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler. Additionally, she has installed mini solar panels to pump water into bowls for her feathered friends. It’s like a spa day for her garden—everyone gets pampered!

A Garden with a Heart

Vicky shares with Krosskeys Communications: “Gardening grounds me, gives me something to look forward to every day. I enjoy working with nature, observing and studying birds, and engaging with the world beyond myself.” The vibrant colors in her garden reflect her creative energy and appreciation for nature's healing power. Occasionally, Vicky crafts stunning bouquets with hand-picked roses, camellias, ferns, and hydrangeas from her garden for weddings and graduation ceremonies. Her joy stems not just from the flowers and fruits she cultivates but also from her childhood memories in the Philippines, where gardening was less of a chore and more of a family bonding experience. Her inspiration largely comes from her grandmother, who taught her the fundamentals of planting fruits and vegetables, and her mother, who lovingly tended a garden of red roses. For this 79-year-old nature lover, gardening is a deeply spiritual pursuit. While she may not solve the world's problems, she offers hope and a beautiful space for reflection—one ladybug-painted bowling ball at a time!

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