When she’s not designing, planting, or sowing seeds in the rain, she’s deep into citizen science: DNA sequencing of plants, carbon studies, plant intelligence. “It’s mind-blowing,” she says. “I can’t help reading it.”
Gardening, Seger says, is a path to positive change — for wildlife, for climate, for our own bodies. “You’re outside in the changing seasons. You get a workout and fresh air. And it’s gratifying to see the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds show up instantly.”
Through the Morongo Basin Conservation Association, Seger films DIY gardening videos and helps organize native plant walks, including one scheduled for April 18. She also writes a Substack column for The Desert Trumpet chronicling “the weird and wonderful strategies” Mojave plants use to survive. It’s her way to encourage others to “get back to essentials and in touch with nature’s enrichments.”
If you meet her in the wild, she’ll say she’s a “bon vivant.” Press her, and she’ll admit she designs with native plants. “But that’s dangerous, because everyone has problems in their garden.” Most are solvable. Patience, a keen eye, and a willingness to bend to nature’s rules — and whims — go a long way.
“I think working with plants has made me a better observer of things,” Seger says. “Maybe because we all have a much deeper connection to nature than we realize.”
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