My love of plants began with the houseplants in my first apartment and has evolved into my passion for native plants and the vibrant community of birds, butterflies and bees, and other insects they support.

I am a freelance writer, speaker, consultant and landscape designer living in Iowa City. None of these facts could have been predicted when I completed high school and left Indiana. Now with a B.A. in Literature and Art, an M.A. in Communications and an A.S. in Horticulture, I am writing, speaking and consulting about gardens and our environment, and anything else of importance to me.

My landscape designs can be found throughout Johnson County, Iowa and beyond. I have written for numerous garden and landscape publications and am the author of Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest: Bringing the Tallgrass Prairie Home.

From how-to articles to garden profiles to travel articles to book reviews, I write for a variety of readers. I am currently working on my second book. During the summers I enroll in the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

Living on an acreage has allowed me to experiment with all kinds of gardening and plants. It has also allowed me to fulfill a childhood dream to own and ride horses. I want to share my knowledge and experience with others who have the same dream.

I post to my blog four times a year. I publish my newsletter, Judy Nauseef—Books, Plants, and Travel quarterly. You may subscribe here.