Our Team

We have some of the most experienced gardeners, DIY experts and homesteaders around the world on our team. Learn more about the editorial staff behind Happy DIY Home here.

Jen Stark
Founder
Jen is a professional horticulturist with a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Berkeley and Master's degree in horticulture from the University of Florida. She is also an interior designer and home improvement expert who has completed many home improvement, decor and remodeling projects with her family over the past 10 years on their 4,500 sf Victorian house. She owns a 50-acre organic market farm and keeps goats, chickens, turkeys cows and pigs on her farm. She is an instructor for her community's Organic and Sustainable Farming project.
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Elizabeth Jones
Horticulturist

Elizabeth learnt to love gardening as a child in her grandparents backyard. Today, she is a trained horticulturist and has maintained a productive allotment for over 10 years. When not growing her own, Elizabeth enjoys helping other people with the plant problems. An experienced writer and editor, away from gardening Elizabeth is also a keen bird watcher, local historian and genealogist, meaning that she can often be found with her dogs exploring an overgrown graveyard.  

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Elizabeth Waddington
Permaculture Designer and Environmental Consultant

Elizabeth Waddington is a smallholder, permaculture designer and environmental consultant. When not designing food producing systems or advising growers around the world, she is to be found in her own garden. On her 1/3 of an acre patch of land she has a walled forest garden orchard (home to rescue chickens), a polyculture vegetable plot, a polytunnel, wildlife pond, wild woodland garden and more and is working every day towards greater self-sufficiency. She is passionate about sustainability and loves to inspire others about the wonderful things home gardeners can do for people and planet.

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Ashley Hanson
Expert Gardener

Ashley is a seasoned horticulturist with a passion for all things green. She has a Master Gardener Certificate and cultivated her expertise through over 10 years of hands-on experience in a thriving greenhouse environment. Her days have been spent nurturing a vast array of plants, from delicate flowers to robust vegetables, and she has honed her skills in plant propagation, pest control, and sustainable gardening practices.

One of Ashley's favorite activities is canning the bountiful harvest from her garden. Preserving the flavors and nutrients of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables brings her immense satisfaction. Her pantry shelves are lined with jars of vibrant jams, pickles, and sauces, capturing the essence of each season.

In the kitchen, Ashley is known for her culinary prowess, making use of her garden's abundant herbs and vegetables. Cooking with fresh ingredients straight from the garden adds a depth of flavor that store-bought produce simply cannot match.

Beyond her green thumb and culinary skills, Ashley thrives on taking on DIY projects around the house. From painting walls to refurbishing furniture, she combines her creativity and practical skills to transform spaces into havens of beauty and functionality. Her determination and resourcefulness make her a capable and confident DIY enthusiast.

Kaila Krayewski
DIY Expert

Kaila Krayewski is a DIY expert with a borderline obsessive passion for condiments and a keen knack for furniture restoration. When she's not standing over a boiling pot of tomatoes or sanding down her neighbour's dining table, she can be found wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles of a craft store. Kaila currently straddles Thailand and Edinburgh as her global homes, together with her handy and handsome husband and super adorable little boy, Hudson.

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Cailey Johanna
Gardening Expert
Cailey Johanna Thiessen lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Though born in Colorado, she spent most of her formative years in Morelos and Oaxaca, Mexico. She attended college in Vermont, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing and a minor in Foreign Languages from Champlain College. She writes about pest control, travel, gardening, and more. Though currently living in an apartment, she loves caring for her large selection of houseplants and is looking forward to owning her own garden. She’s an avid cook and interested in finding easy and enjoyable ways to be healthier and happier. She’s passionate about writing and creating and seeing finished projects come to life.
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Peyton Warmack-Chipman
Sustainable and Self-Sufficient Living Expert

Peyton is an enthusiastic gardener and an activist for more sustainable and self-sufficient living. Along with being involved in several climate action and permaculture organizations, she’s actively working in her home garden to have more home grown food. Her love for healthy and wholesome cooking led her to use only fresh ingredients, and it doesn’t get fresher than straight from the garden. With a Bachelor’s degree in Political Economics, she’s focused on climate action in the form of organic gardening and self-sufficiency.