FIRST LOOK/influence
Josh Cleveland of Spokane Garden Coach knows how your garden grows
G
Story and Photos by ERIN PETERSON
rowth isn’t easy, but it’s important. Three years ago, Josh Cleveland decided to take his lifelong hobby and turn it into a budding business through the power of social media. Trained as a caregiver who had worked in higher education and as a hospital chaplain, he’s held diverse roles in caring for people, which translates beautifully to the world of plants. We all need regular care to thrive, and that’s especially true of gardens. Now he can add Garden Coach to his list of professional titles. While currently working weekdays at a nonprofit that provides access to education and helps people overcome barriers to those services, on evenings and weekends he helps others conceptualize and design their outdoor spaces. His clients are as passionate about their gardens as is Josh, who of course spends as much time as possible in his own garden. From growing his first cherry tomato plant at age 18 to now 26
BOZZIMEDIA.com / JUNE 2022
helping other people plan their very own dream garden spaces, Josh has taken his love for plants and unique skill set to new heights. “[My career] has been such a gift. It translates into my garden coaching, too. You learn to ask the right questions and help support people as they go about learning how to garden. It’s also been such a gift to get to know Spokane in new ways and get to know so many wonderful people that I otherwise wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the power of digital connection,” he mused. Josh has become a social media phenomenon through his heartfelt messages and prolific information that he curates for home gardeners. During the pandemic, he made connections with people that helped them find renewed meaning and purpose in their verdant surroundings. Gardening has never been more embraced than through those lonely, uniquely isolating months of COVID lockdown, and it created a unique opportunity to connect through Instagram.