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Hi, there! My name is Liv Sponsler. Thank you for visiting my site.
Tender Lovin' Garden Care was my minted weed control & garden business and labor of love. With this project, I hoped to serve my community one home at a time with authenticity, gentleness, and humility while re-building a life for myself.
In early 2024, I underwent a series of life-altering health challenges, including a near-death experience that shook me to my core and caused me to re-evaluate my purpose, direction, and career. I thought of those who had gone before me and my responsibility to those who will come after, the kind of society I would like to participate in and build. I began to envision a future that puts kindness first, honors the sacred light & agency of each human, and delights in healthy stewardship of the land & resources we work for & are provided.
My greatest inspirations are my two, lovely grandmothers, both of whom embody gentle service, gratitude, and love with each step they take. They taught me the value of rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands dirty, loving your neighbor, and of course, honoring the land.
My Grandmother Phyllis in particular had a green thumb that rivaled the best of the best. I fondly remember watching her on quiet, Iowa mornings as she tended her garden with serenity & wonder. She would walk among the plants, talking to them as if they had their own personalities, lovingly touching their leaves & inspecting them for blights. My favorites from her garden were purple iris and clematis vines. No issue was too tough to troubleshoot and tackle, and she was a frequent purveyor of a "try again" attitude. She passed away in 2019, but her spirit lives on in the hearts of her family, community, and the Lord above - all of whom she served faithfully. I hope to continue her work and honor her legacy of truly tender loving care with this endeavor.
Phyllis's vegetable garden c. 2019, shortly after she left us.
As for my own experience, I have grown up with agriculture & horticulture in my blood. My father started out as a third generation farmer in Iowa, moving to Colorado after taking a motorcycle trip and falling in love with the Front Range. My Abuela Aurora worked in the onion and sugar beet fields north of Greeley. Early on, I felt deeply connected to the land, specifically here in Northern Colorado, Western Iowa, and Northern New Mexico. I spent three years total assisting with and eventually managing a local lawn care business, and also enjoyed spending time on and with the crews. I tend my own xeri-scaped garden along with my housemates here in Fort Collins, and we all have quite a bit of fun and education while doing so! Someday, I hope to develop the same type of green thumb as my Grandmother Phyllis, as tall of an order as that may be. I strive to never be so proud as to think that I have "arrived," and I love to learn something new every day. Thanks to my background in psychological research, I approach any issue (including gardening ones!) with a confidence that I can find an answer, as well as a belief that the best answers are typically individualized to both the plants & homeowner in question. I believe and honor the care instructions given to me by those who have tended their own plants over the years, and I enjoy researching new and sustainable solutions to plant health as well as chatting with my Dad about ag & soil science.
It was my pleasure to serve the Fort Collins community with high quality garden care, and it is with bittersweet sentiment that I am moving on to a new career, still in the lawn care industry in an administrative leadership role. For questions and referrals, please use my contact form.
~Liv
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