Dawn Burau, Owner and Garden Coach

Dawn grew up Minnesota, gardening with her mom and grandmother. She was eating local before “eating local” was a thing. Through high school and college she worked at a nursery, cultivating vegetables and managing the grounds.

Dawn went on to have a career as an art therapist and mental health counselor, working in a therapeutic school, then teaching at a university. These experiences helped develop her teaching style and awareness of the many ways being outdoors positively impacts physical and mental health.

Several years ago she returned to her passion of gardening, working for a local gardening/landscaping company as a lead designer. She has completed courses at The Native Plant Trust and was trained as an Organic Land Care Professional by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). Wild Indigo Gardening combines Dawn’s love of nature, homegrown food, community, art and ecological restoration.

Places, Books and Movies

At Wild Indigo Gardening, our approach to gardening, cooking and teaching is shaped by reading, attending conferences, visiting gardens, getting outside and talking with other gardeners, cooks and scientists. The links below provide a sample of some resources near and dear to us.

The Native Plant Trust and Garden in the Woods

Located in Wayland, MA, an organization dedicated to the conservation of native plants and a 45 acre botanic garden featuring native plants. Both provide education and volunteer opportunities and connected to Nasami Farm in Whatley, MA, an organic nursery for native plants. I am a member, have taken courses, bought plants and love to visit.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

This book explores the relationships between people, plants, and the land in Native American and Western traditions. Her perspectives are shaped as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, botanist, professor and mother. I love the thoughtful care relating to the land and each other shared in this book.

Homegrown National Park

The mission of Douglas Tallamy and Michelle Alfandari is to regenerate biodiversity and ecosystem function across 20 million acres in the United States by converting lawns into habitat. As citizens and homeowners we can have impact, especially when working together.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Micheal Pollen

“Eat real food, mostly plants, not too much,” is the famous advice of the author, encouraging people to eat food that is recognizable by our grandmothers. He proposes this mantra would help reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases caused by the Western diet.

University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

If you love Honeycrisp apples, you have “The Arb” to thank. Located in Chaska, MN, it has 28 specialty gardens, 44 plant collections, 150 permanent works of art and I grew up 15 minutes away from it. We spent a lot of time strolling the grounds and trying fruit developed at the world renowned woody plant and fruit breeding programs. If you find yourself in MN and love gardens, please visit the 1,200 acre facility. You won’t regret it.

My Subversive (Garden) Plot

Gardening is radical! This Ted Talk by Roger Doiron presents an alternative route towards health, environmental care and feeding the planet. Through gardening we can avoid industrial agriculture and have intimate knowledge about where our food comes from (and save money).

Kiss the Ground

A documentary and call-to-action to promote regenerative gardening/farming methods.

Many Places, Wild and Curated

  • Grand Teton National Park, WY

  • Lake Superior, Northern MN

  • Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

  • Northern VT

  • California Poppy Superbloom

  • Arctic Circle, Sweden

  • Southern New Mexico