Kevin Kavanagh is the owner of South Coast Gardens and Consulting, a small nursery and landscape design business located just up the street from Potter’s Creek Studios in Ontario’s Carolinian zone.

With a strong background in nature conservation, Kevin has worked with organizations including the Nature Conservancy of Canada and World Wildlife Fund Canada. His passion for North American native plants was sparked during field studies in the richly diverse eastern forests of Carolinian Canada, the Appalachian Mountains, and the southeastern United States. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) from McGill University, an M.Sc. from York University, and pursued post-graduate research in Botany at the University of Toronto.

Kevin is a member of the Grand Erie Master Gardeners and the Niagara Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. He has also authored several publications celebrating Canada’s wild places and the vibrant plant life of Ontario’s Carolinian zone.

The garden he and my mother created here continues to thrive—living proof of his dedication, deep knowledge, and generous spirit. I’m endlessly grateful for his contribution to this land, my life, and the more-than-human world we share.