Our Story

About Hortiena

Passionate gardeners sharing real knowledge from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Who We Are

A Passion for Growing, Sharing & Inspiring

Hortiena was founded by a team of passionate home gardeners and landscape enthusiasts based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. We started this website because we couldn't find a single reliable resource that addressed the unique challenges of gardening in South Florida's subtropical climate.

Too many gardening websites were written for northern climates with cold winters, short summers, and very different soil conditions. We needed guides that actually worked for Zone 10a — guides that understood sandy Florida soil, year-round heat, tropical pests, and the counterintuitive reality that winter is our best growing season.

So we built Hortiena: a home and garden resource written specifically for Florida gardeners, with content that is honest, tested, and practical.

Florida garden in bloom
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
What We Stand For

Our Editorial Values

🌿

Accuracy First

Every piece of advice on Hortiena is researched, tested, or sourced from established horticultural expertise. We never publish gardening advice we haven't verified.

📍

Florida-Specific

Our content is written for the specific conditions of South Florida — Zone 9–11 climates, subtropical humidity, sandy soils, and year-round growing seasons.

🌱

Beginner-Friendly

Whether you've never planted a seed or you've been gardening for decades, our guides meet you where you are with clear, jargon-free language.

♻️

Sustainability

We advocate for organic gardening practices, native plants, water conservation, and composting — methods that are better for your garden and the environment.

The Team

Who Writes for Hortiena

Editorial Team Member

Margaret Ellis

Founder & Lead Garden Writer

A certified master gardener with 15 years of experience growing vegetables and ornamentals in Palm Beach County. Margaret founded Hortiena to share practical, Florida-focused gardening knowledge.

Editorial Team Member

David Reyes

Plant Specialist & Botanist

With a background in botany and 10 years working in South Florida nurseries, David brings deep expertise in tropical and subtropical plant varieties, propagation, and care.

Editorial Team Member

Rachel Torres

Home Decor & Interior Plants Editor

An interior decorator and plant enthusiast, Rachel specializes in bringing the beauty of outdoor gardens inside through thoughtful plant styling and biophilic design.

Transparency

Our Editorial & Disclosure Policy

Content Independence

All editorial content on Hortiena is written independently. We do not accept payment to write favorable reviews or to recommend specific products. Our recommendations are based solely on our own research, testing, and expertise.

Affiliate Disclosure

Some articles on Hortiena may contain affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the site and allows us to continue producing free content. We only recommend products we genuinely believe in.

Sponsored Content

Any sponsored or paid content on Hortiena is clearly labeled as "Sponsored," "Advertisement," or "Advertorial" at the top of the page in accordance with FTC guidelines and Outbrain's advertising policies.

Accuracy & Updates

We strive to ensure all content is accurate and up to date. Gardening science and best practices evolve — if you spot an error or outdated information, please contact us and we will review and update accordingly.

Comments & User Content

We moderate all comments and user-submitted content to ensure accuracy and respectful dialogue. We reserve the right to remove content that is spam, offensive, or factually incorrect.

Get In Touch

Have a Question or Suggestion?

We love hearing from our readers. Whether you have a gardening question, want to share your story, or are interested in collaboration — reach out!

Contact Us