A Day in the Life of Mitch Anderson: Enliven’s Lead Gardener

At Enliven, our gardens are not just beautiful spaces, but they are tended to by an incredible team of gardeners who bring their passion and knowledge to life. Today, our Social and Visual Media Coordinator, Mycie, had the chance to sit down with Mitch Anderson, Enliven’s Lead Gardener, to learn more about his role, his journey, and his love for plants.

Meet Mitch

Mycie: Hi Mitch, thanks for sitting down with us today! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Mitch: Of course! I’m Mitch Anderson, the Lead Gardener here at Enliven. I’ve been with the company since August 2020, so a little over four years now.

The Role of a Lead Gardener

Mycie: So, what exactly does your role as Lead Gardener entail?

Mitch: I do a lot of training with new hires and often head up our larger, multi-person projects. On the day-to-day, I make sure to stay productive and hit high numbers, especially on the bigger jobs.

Mycie: You’re known for being one of our most proficient gardeners.

Mitch: Haha, yes, for sure.

Favorite Parts of the Job

Mycie: What would you say is your favorite part about working at Enliven?

Mitch: One of the best parts is the constant opportunities to learn. Of course, I’ve learned a lot about plants, but I’ve also picked up so much from my coworkers, like how to handle different interpersonal situations. Enliven gives us the space to grow and continue learning, which I really value.

Learning Plant Facts & Tackling Invasive Species

Mycie: Speaking of learning, what’s one of the coolest things you’ve learned about plants while working here?

Mitch: That’s a tough one! I think learning about the propagation process has been really interesting. I’ve also become more knowledgeable about pest care, which has been super helpful since I’ve had my share of houseplant disasters.

Oh, and invasive species removal has been fascinating too. We deal with a lot of Japanese knotweed on our property, and learning how to tackle that beast has been both challenging and rewarding.

Getting Hands in the Dirt

Mycie: What’s your favorite part of the gardening process?

Mitch: Honestly, I just love getting my hands in the dirt. But I think the most satisfying part is stepping back after a job is done, especially when it’s a beautiful window box or a big planter. Seeing the final product and knowing the client is going to love it—that’s the best feeling.

Gardening in Every Season

Mycie: What’s your favorite season to garden?

Mitch: Definitely fall. I love the colors and the overall vibe of harvest season. The weather’s usually great, not too hot or cold. That being said, I also enjoy winter gardening—planting during the colder months feels different and exciting.

Exploring Philly’s Neighborhoods

Mycie: Is there a particular neighborhood or area you love working in?

Mitch: East Falls, for sure. It’s such a great neighborhood. I also love working in Fairmount, Fitler Square, and Society Hill. The historic feel of these areas, with cobblestone streets and old homes, adds to the charm of planting beautiful arrangements there.

And I can’t forget going down to the shore in May—it feels like a special occasion and marks the start of summer. It’s always fun hearing stories from coworkers about their favorite beach spots and family traditions.

Favorite Plants & Toughest Challenges

Mycie: Do you have any memorable stories from your time here, or a favorite arrangement you’ve worked on?

Mitch: Nothing too wild comes to mind, but I love working with built-in planter beds. They’re usually large and allow for a ton of variety. It’s like solving a puzzle, and the results are always stunning because of the sheer number of plants and textures we get to work with.

Mycie: Lastly, what are your favorite and least favorite plants to work with?

Mitch: That’s a tricky one. I love all our plants, but the most challenging ones are probably Cana lilies—they have crazy root systems that are tough to deal with. Same goes for lantanas. They smell great but are difficult to remove.

As for favorites, I’m a big fan of dahlias, though we don’t get them as often. I also love lobelia. It’s a trailing bloom with a beautiful blue color that’s rare in the flower world.

Wrapping Up

Mycie: Thanks so much, Mitch! This has been a great conversation, and we’ve learned so much about your role and passion for gardening.

Mitch: You’re welcome!

We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes chat with Mitch Anderson. Stay tuned for more insights from our incredible team here at Enliven!

What is the Magic Behind an Enliven Planters Arrangement?

We’re always experimenting and refining our container and window box designs. With endless plant options and changing seasons, we work hard to stay at the forefront of plant combinations for our customers.

One question we often get is how we manage to make each design unique while maintaining the high standards of quality and consistency that both we and our customers expect. While we could write a book about all the variables we consider in our designs (our training manual is quite detailed!), at the core of it all lies in the language and design guidelines we’ve developed at Enliven. 

With a team of nearly 50 people, it’s crucial that we all speak the same language and follow a consistent framework. These design guidelines are the foundation of every arrangement that reaches our customers’ homes each season. Below, you’ll find a detailed look at what makes each Enliven arrangement both consistent and unique—principles that even DIY gardeners can use.

Key Elements of an Enliven Arrangement

Every Enliven arrangement includes one or more of the following elements. Whether it’s a 12-inch pot or a 100-foot-long planting bed, you’ll find these key components in our designs:

1. Centerpiece: This plant forms the backbone of the design, providing structure and height. We usually use more mature plants for this, ones that have been growing for 2-3 years. Examples might include a columnar evergreen from the West Coast, a tropical plant from Florida, or a locally grown upright grass. The centerpiece sets the tone for the entire arrangement and gives it a strong vertical element.
2. Upright Foliage: These plants are shorter than the centerpiece and help fill out the body of the arrangement, adding visual depth. Unlike pre-made garden center arrangements, we play with foliage texture, color, and growth habits to enhance our designs beyond just blooms. Examples might include an interesting shrub, a vibrant coleus, or a smaller grass that contrasts with the centerpiece.
3. Upright Bloom: Similar to upright foliage, but chosen for its flowers. These plants might have spires of blooms reaching upward or a cloud of blossoms that weave around the centerpiece and upright foliage. They add height and color, making the arrangement lively and eye-catching.
4. Mounding Foliage: Our mounding foliage plants are where you start to see more repetition within the arrangement, much like the steps of a spiral staircase. These plants fill out the base of the design, staying lower than the upright plants and growing fuller and bushier as the season progresses. Examples might include heuchera, ornamental cabbage, or a mounding coleus. This foliage not only grounds the arrangement but also provides a rich, textured backdrop that enhances the overall visual appeal.
5. Mounding Blooms: Mounding blooms are where you’ll find the unique varieties of staple plants that bring vibrant color to our arrangements. This is a key area where we inject personality and uniqueness into each design. We custom-grow our plants to achieve the perfect balance, using bloom varieties that are rarely found in large quantities at local garden centers. We plan years in advance to ensure that we have the most vigorous and unique plants ready for our designs. Mounding blooms complement the upright blooms and often contrast with the foliage, adding depth and richness to the arrangement. We may use 2-3 varieties of mounding blooms in an arrangement, repeating them strategically depending on the container size. 
6. Trailing Foliage: Trailing foliage is essential for breaking the edge of the container, extending the design downward, and giving it that lush, cascading look that we love. This element is particularly important in our window boxes, where it adds a soft, flowing effect that enhances the overall design. We custom-grow our trailing plants in troughs to jump-start their growth, ensuring they’re ready to spill over the edges by midseason. The roots of these plants need space to grow and support the quick development of trailing stems. We take great care in choosing trailing varieties, as they can be the most prolific growers in a season. We ensure they don’t overpower or outcompete their neighboring plants, especially the blooming ones. The result is a balanced, cascading effect that adds movement and grace to the arrangement.
7. Trailing Blooms: Trailing blooms are the final flourish in our designs, adding a burst of color that spills over the container’s edge. These plants create broad strokes of color that can be seen from a distance, making the arrangement stand out from across the street or down the driveway. The plant industry heavily focuses on these varieties, which gives us a wide range of options to play with in terms of colors, bloom shapes, and subtle bi-color designs. Trailing blooms complete the ensemble, creating a visually stunning display that adds depth, movement, and vibrant color to any space.

 

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes at Enliven

The elements above are just a summary of the principles behind our designs and give you an idea of the language we use when working through plant ordering, inventory management, and design combinations. Our commitment to innovation and quality is reflected in every detail, from the selection of individual plants to the final arrangement that arrives at your door. We hope to share more insights into the magic of Enliven’s designs in future blog posts, giving you a deeper understanding of what makes our arrangements truly special!

 

Our Story: Breathing Life into Homes Across Philly

Ten years ago, we founded Enliven Planters with a simple yet ambitious goal: to bring vibrant, magazine-worthy outdoor spaces to homes and businesses across the Philly region in an affordable and accessible way. Our founders, with backgrounds in landscape design and construction, were inspired to make high-end design available to everyone, not just the few who could afford it.

As landscape design and construction professionals, we noticed that stunning entryways, lush landscapes, and inviting outdoor spaces seemed reserved for those who could afford a small army to design, build, and maintain them. We believed there had to be a better way to bring that level of beauty to everyone—regardless of budget or property size. 

With Enliven, we set out to make beautiful outdoor spaces an achievable reality for all.

The Challenge: Limited Options for Year-Round Beauty

Before Enliven, options for filling and maintaining planters throughout the year were limited:

• Hiring a Personal Gardener: Costly, hard to schedule, and often tied to larger landscaping contracts. Plus, personal gardeners are few and far between, making it challenging to find reliable help when you need it, leaving many with lifeless outdoor spaces.
• DIY at a Garden Center: A time-consuming process filled with guesswork, resulting in potential plant disasters and messy cars. The trial-and-error nature of this approach often leads to frustration, especially for those without a green thumb, and the results are rarely as stunning as envisioned.
• Pre-Mixed Baskets from Big Box Stores: Quick and cheap, but short-lived, with designs that don’t last beyond a couple of weeks. These baskets may look great at first, but their rapid decline often leaves you with dead plants long before the season is over, resulting in a temporary fix rather than a lasting solution.

These options left many with dead plants or empty pots for most of the year, which is where we saw an opportunity to make a real difference!

The Solution: Seasonal Updates with Enliven Planters

We set out to change the game by bringing the expertise of personal estate gardeners to everyone. Our seasonal planter subscription service offers one-of-a-kind designs, consistent quality, and simple care instructions—without cumbersome contracts or additional services. Whether you have a small city apartment or a large suburban estate, we have a planter solution that suits your needs and enhances your outdoor space year-round.

Our Clients

• City Row Homes: Two window boxes, replanted four times a year. This simple addition brings vibrant color and charm to urban facades, making them stand out in the cityscape and adding a touch of nature to even the smallest spaces.
• Suburban Homes: Two pots on the front steps, replanted four times a year. These seasonal updates enhance curb appeal and welcome you home with fresh, lively displays that change with the seasons.
• Boutique Shops and Restaurants: Planters out front, replanted four times a year. The changing arrangements help attract customers and keep the storefront looking fresh and inviting year-round, creating a welcoming atmosphere that draws in foot traffic.
• Main Street Business Associations: Dozens of pots, replanted four times a year. These coordinated efforts create a cohesive and attractive streetscape that benefits the entire community, turning public spaces into vibrant, green areas.
• Suburban Pools and Patios: Annual plantings around outdoor spaces. These vibrant plantings create an inviting atmosphere for relaxation and entertaining throughout the summer, making your outdoor gatherings feel special and thoughtfully designed.
• Beer Gardens and Breweries: Decks and patios transformed annually, ready for summer. Our creative designs help set the stage for a lively, welcoming environment that draws patrons in, ensuring that your outdoor space is as appealing as the drinks you serve.

Why Seasonal Planters and Window Boxes Suit Any Home, Style, and Budget

• Big Impact in Small Spaces: Perfect for homes without large yards or landscaping. Even a single planter can dramatically enhance the appearance of a small space, making it feel more welcoming and vibrant, whether it’s a cozy apartment balcony or a small city stoop.
• City Facades Come to Life: Breathe life into urban exteriors with vibrant color. Planters and window boxes are an easy way to add greenery and charm to even the most compact city homes, transforming drab, concrete spaces into lush, inviting areas.
• A Seasonal Cherry on Top: Add seasonal flair to suburban homes with established landscaping. These planters provide the finishing touch that brings out the best in your outdoor spaces, complementing your existing landscaping with fresh, seasonal updates.
• Cost-Effective Curb Appeal: For a fraction of the cost of full-scale landscaping, you can achieve a look that rivals professionally designed gardens, making it a smart investment for anyone looking to boost their home’s curb appeal.

The Advantages to a Seasonal Subscription

• Personalized Service: We start with a free phone consultation to understand your needs, assess your containers, and address any concerns. Our goal is to tailor our service to your specific preferences, ensuring you get the most out of your planters and that they truly reflect your personal style and needs.
• Transparent Pricing: Know your costs upfront, with no surprises. We believe in fairness and consistency, so you can trust that you’re getting the best value without any hidden fees or unexpected charges, making budgeting for your outdoor space easy and predictable.
• Flexible Options: Skip seasons as needed, whether you’re away for the summer or winter. This flexibility ensures that your planters always reflect your lifestyle and needs, without unnecessary costs, making it easy to maintain a beautiful outdoor space year-round, no matter your schedule.
• Easy Care: We prioritize beauty and low maintenance, providing care instructions with every delivery. Our careful plant selection takes into account your environment, so you can enjoy your planters with minimal effort, ensuring that your outdoor space remains vibrant and healthy with only a small amount of care.
• Ongoing Support: Our team is always available to answer your questions and ensure your satisfaction. Whether you need advice or have concerns, we’re here to help you keep your plants thriving year-round, offering guidance and support whenever you need it.

With a decade of experience, we’re the premier container gardening company in the country. Our deep knowledge and passion for container gardening ensure that you’re getting the most innovative and beautiful designs available, making us the go-to experts for anyone looking to enhance their outdoor space with stunning, professionally designed planters. Experience the Enliven difference—let us bring life to your outdoor spaces year-round!

Preparation

As the anticipation for spring builds with the first unexpected warm day in February, our groundwork for the upcoming planting season is already well underway. This period of preparation is critical, blending meticulous planning with an understanding of the unpredictable nature of weather. Here, we delve into the rigorous process that precedes the bloom of spring, emphasizing the many steps taken to ensure a successful planting season!

When to Plant

The journey towards a vibrant spring landscape for Enliven begins almost a year in advance. This early start is not just about anticipation but a necessity driven by the complex nature of plant cultivation and design. Monitoring weather patterns plays a crucial role in this phase. Weather watching becomes our pastime because, despite the itch to plant the moment the sun peeks out, we’ve learned that patience pays off.

We wait for that golden 10-day forecast in April to really get going, especially around Philadelphia, where winter likes to linger with surprise frosts.

Plant Selection

Long-term planning extends to relationships with suppliers, ensuring access to unique plant varieties and consistent quality. We pre-book custom plants nearly a year in advance! By coordinating with growers from the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Florida, we can bring in evergreens and ensure that annuals are colorful and ready to bloom upon installation.
Our goal is to deliver plants that are tight and budded, maximizing display time and enjoyment for our clients.

Pre-Season Prep

But it’s not all about the plants. Making sure our gear is in tip-top shape is just as crucial. From tuning up the trucks to sharpening our tools and fixing those pesky irrigation lines, we’re on it – particularly planning for cold snaps. We set up frost protection measures and organize the warehouse to accommodate plants during unexpectedly chilly nights, so your plants aren’t in any danger.

The Team

None of this would work without our fantastic crew. The nursery team focuses on shop layout and plant care refreshers, ensuring that they are ready to receive and care for the incoming plants. The Design team reviews new plant cultivars and updates to design guidelines, ensuring that our creations remain innovative and appealing. Gardeners, the hands-on force behind our operations, refresh their skills with practical exercises and review essential protocols for driving and safety.

The Final Countdown

Gardeners begin the crucial task of spring cleanouts during March. This involves removing old winter arrangements, refreshing pots with new soil and fertilizer, and ensuring that our installations are primed for the new season. We’re all about making sure when the planting season officially hits, we’re more than ready to bring some life and color back into the city and beyond.

​​This journey from pre-season to planting is a collective effort, involving everyone from nursery staff to gardeners, each playing a crucial role in transforming our shared vision into reality. It’s a meticulous process, from weather monitoring to selecting the perfect plants, all geared towards ensuring that when spring arrives, it does so spectacularly.