Jo Ann's Gardner's interest in silvers began on her first trip to Israel in the mid 80s, where she was overwhelmed by the beauty of the native flora, especially silver plants growing along roadsides like weeds. She saw shimmering salvias and wild lavender growing among rocks, and in the Negev Desert she observed white wormwood, a low shrub, spreading as far as the eye could see, interspersed with sun rose in shades of rose and pink as if planted by a garden designer. The view of Mediterranean silver plants was inspiring to Jo Ann. When she met Karen Bussolini at a Garden Writers Conference and they discovered a shared passion for silver plants, it was a blend of sensitivities. They found in each other a combination of writing and photography skills that was a perfect fit. Jo Ann has written for numerous publications including Horticulture, Country Journal, Old House Journal, Garden Magazine, and Herb Quarterly. She is also a member of the Garden Writers Association. Jo Ann Gardner currently resides in the foothills of the Adirondacks in New York's lush Champlain Valley where she and her husband, Jigs, are reestablishing a small farm and garden. They are involved in volunteer work for the local nursing home, where they are developing extensive gardens. Karen Bussolini has been a gardener for as long as she can remember. She originally trained as a painter and had a career as an architectural photographer before specializing in garden photography, writing, and lecturing. An active member of the Garden Writers Association, Karen has long been involved in organic, environmentally conscious gardening and has an abiding interest in herbs. She was the sole photographer for five books including Elegant Silvers: Striking Plants for Every Garden, which she co-wrote with Jo Ann Gardner. Karen's writing and photography appear frequently in Garden Design, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, The American Gardener, and Connecticut Home and Garden, and she is best known for writing about personal garden experiences. She has lectured at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, the New England Spring Flower Show, the Maymont Flower Show, and to other groups throughout the United States, and she won Garden Writers Association's photography awards in 2001, 2004, and 2007. When photographing, she sees the world through the eyes of a gardener and painter. Although she travels far and wide, her roots are sunk deeply into the soil of a deer-infested mountainside in South Kent, Connecticut, where she gardens and lives with her family.
