For more than thirty‑five years, my career as a scientist focused on understanding what shapes the health and survival of wild Pacific salmon. As a molecular ecologist, I blended genetics, field biology, and ecology to develop innovative tools that monitor stress and overall health—and ultimately support efforts to bring more salmon home to the rivers in the Pacific Northwest where they were born.

Along the way, I spent countless hours watching these remarkable fish transform from bright orange eggs to coral and gold alevins to bright silver ocean travelers and finally into their sunset spawning colors: corals, peaches, dusty roses, and deep reds. Those hues stayed with me. They echo the same palette that now fills my garden and inspires the heart of Chinook Dahlias.

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My dahlia journey began more than twelve years ago with tubers I purchased at a Pacific Salmon Foundation auction—donated, fittingly, by another scientist who found joy in growing flowers.

What started as a small hobby has grown into a one‑acre garden in Qualicum Beach, surrounded by tall coastal trees, eagles feeding overhead, and the sound of the ocean just a block away. Here, I grow varieties chosen to thrive in the mild, mixed‑light conditions of the Pacific Northwest, with a special focus on rare and salmon‑toned blooms.

Gardening draws on the same creativity, curiosity, and methodical care that shaped my scientific career, and I hope to bring those worlds even closer—perhaps even developing molecular tools for dahlia health, echoing the innovations I founded in my salmon research. In every way, this garden is my way of bringing the colors of homecoming full circle.