roots

Hi! I’m Suzanne Hale.

My promise to everyone I work with is to create a simple outdoor space that is low-maintenance, resilient and requires the least amount of resources. Nature knows what to do, so working with natural processes are always more cost-effective, more efficient and requires the least amount of energy.

As a lifelong lover of the natural world, I’ve always had my hands in the dirt. Growing up in the woods studying all the life around me, I learned to value conservation and honor natural processes. Whether it was helping my uncle with his tomato garden, planting wildflowers in the meadow or chasing fireflies in the yard, nature made me happy. I’ve always had some kind of garden - fire escape herbs in NYC, orchids in Boston, vegetable gardens in every home I’ve owned and now the (mostly) native ecosystem in my yard. Growing my methods and skills over the past 20 years has taken many forms. 

As a board member and plant lover for The Swampscott Conservancy, I jumped into the native plant world head first. Creating native gardens all over town, growing all the plants for the annual Native Plant Sale and installing the North Shore’s first MicroForest have been key accomplishments. Leading workshops on native plant gardening, native plant propagation and winter sowing, as well as butterfly life cycle ecology with elementary students has deepened my commitment to environmental stewardship.

Growing organic produce for the SPUR Community Roots Gardens has been a decade-long endeavor. Beginning with the first garden at St. Andrew’s Church in Marblehead, I have designed every season and have now expanded to four gardens across Marblehead and Swampscott. Every bit of produce grown is donated to local food pantries and partner programs fighting food insecurity. 

Following my passion for gardening, philanthropy and education, I proposed a partnership between Anchor Food Pantry and Girl Scouts of Ocean Bay in creating a revitalized Giving Garden. Eight raised beds of organic produce provide Anchor Food Pantry shoppers with nutritious food while the rising 5th grade Girl Scout troop plant, maintain and harvest the garden all season long to earn their Gardener Badge. 

Work on Swampscott’s Climate Action & Resiliency Committee and Tree Committee has provided a unique perspective regarding ecological stewardship on the municipal level. Focusing on native species and bringing more biodiversity into the community, I updated the accepted street tree list and adopt-a-traffic-island guidelines. I led the charge to plant the North Shore’s first MicroForest using the Miyawaki method and designed an outdoor classroom full of butterfly ecology (and curriculum) at the brand new Swampscott Elementary School.

I’m always looking to learn more from experts in the field, so you’ll find me taking courses at Native Plant Trust, participating in webinars with Northeast Organic Farming Association - Mass chapter, and enjoying speakers from Salem Sound Coastwatch, Mass Audubon and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. Special gratitude to The Monarch Gardener, from whom I have learned so very much!