About Cindy...

After receiving her undergraduate degree in ornamental horticulture from University of Missouri – Columbia, Cindy owned and managed Gilberg Perennial Farms for 28 years in West St. Louis County with her husband Doug. Their garden center specialized in herbaceous perennials, aquatic plants for water gardens, native plants and herbs. Cindy developed a name and reputation synonymous with perennial plants in the Midwest and helped bring perennial gardening to the forefront.

Over the years, she has organized numerous gardening workshops in addition to offering countless classes and lectures. Cindy served on the Board of Directors for Perennial Plant Association and is now a board member for the Horticultural Co-op of Greater St. Louis. 

In 2006, Cindy closed the garden center to focus on horticultural consulting and garden design, as well as teaching and writing. In addition, she works part-time in the Horticulture Department at Shaw Nature Reserve ( www.shawnature.org), part of Missouri Botanical Garden. Her area of concentration is in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden where she strives to bring landscaping with native plants into the mainstream.   

She continues to devote her attention to assisting gardeners in making sound choices for their gardens, bringing plants and people together in a way that works for them.

Affiliations/Memberships:

• Garden Writers Association of America
• Greater St. Louis Landscape and Nurserymen’s Association
• Hort Co-op of Greater St. Louis
• Perennial Plant Association
• Steering Committee for ShowMe Rain Gardens initiative