Meet Graham Laird Gardner, author of Tiny and Wild

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you?
Celebrating uniqueness; celebrating being an "other"; the freedom to view society from outside of the heternormative lense.

How do you celebrate Pride throughout the year?
Respect myself and continue to do the work to heal childhood wounds when I was bullied for being different; to build on the gift of being different while supporting other queer artists and agroecologists.

Who are your favorite queer writers?
James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman.

What words of celebration do you have for queer youth today?
Keep stepping outside of boxes and coloring outside of the lines.

Who in the queer community inspires you right now? 
Alok Vaid-Menon, an internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian, and public speaker.

What do you hope readers will get from your book?
To create gorgeous habitats and learn the importance of ecological garden design/management for the well-being of ALL creatures.

What’s your favorite thing about being an author/creative?
Seeing beauty all around me, and inspiring others to notice.

Graham Laird Gardner has over 25 years of experience in landscape design and project management in public, private, and non-profit sectors. Beyond his residential design projects, he has worked with agencies such as the Denver Parks Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, as well as many Cooperative Extension offices, Friends of parks groups, and native plant societies. Graham’s diverse experiences, in New England, Colorado, California, and Puerto Rico, have instilled and reinforced his passion to influence and guide the public on best management practices and the importance of creating a unique space inspired by nearby natural plant communities. During his professional career, Graham has gained considerable practical experience in strategic and master planning, site analysis, regenerative landscape design, construction oversight, and landscape maintenance. As we move away from the thirsty lawns of the City Beautiful Movement designs of the early twentieth century toward a more ecological approach to green spaces, Graham is a leader in the new paradigm of high-functioning, water-smart, and low-maintenance landscapes.

Read about more Authors With PRIDE here!