Ann Amato-Zorich is a fifth-generation Oregonian who loves the Pacific Northwest. She lives in Portland and gardens at the base of an extinct volcano, Mount Tabor. Much of her garden is a laboratory where she plays with plants and propagation. Her true love is seeds.

Ann grew up surrounded by gardeners and gardening. When faced with a rare autoimmune disease in her 20s she sought comfort in plants and studied them for years as therapy. It was during that time she began her blog Amateur Bot-Ann-ist. Not long after she opened the Etsy shop Milton’s Garden Menagerie where she sells seeds and vintage items. Nowadays she’s working to grow her seed shop Spiffy Seeds while also working part-time at Cistus Design Nursery.

When not gardening you’ll find Ann with her cats, traveling with her husband John, or venturing out to family property in the coastal woods to spend time in the nature and eat fresh fish and oysters. She also hosts underground dinners in her back garden and enjoys feeding 5-course Italian family-style meals to strangers.