High-tech manager turned gardener, mother of two

Kathy Fries, 43, went from Harvard to a varied high-tech career (racetrack tip-sheet business, NBA franchise databases, Rocket Research manager) before opting out for a low-tech passion, gardening, after she had Xander, now 5, and Jasper, 2, with her husband, former head of Microsoft Game Studios. She opens her garden to activities, especially to educate children, and lends expertise and philanthropy to a long list of community horticulture boards and projects.

"When Ed and I moved from our Kirkland condo to our 1.3-acre spot on Lake Washington, we were both working 60-plus hour weeks. The yard was weeds. Then I planted a seed and was hooked. Fifteen years later, the garden has transformed the property and our lives.

I see the garden as a magical place where everyone can relive their favorite parts of childhood, and where kids can play outdoors and learn about nature, including where food comes from. We have orchards, berry patches, organic vegetables and eggs from our resident chickens. We recycle, compost, use fallen trees and branches for arbors, bridges and structures. The garden provides a daily opportunity for my children to learn to take care of the world around them.

I'm easing into selling plants from my small home nursery, maybe having a booth at a farmer's market if I can convince the kids it would be fun. I've got plans for a getting-back-to-nature garden-design business, maybe when both boys are in school, and have an idea for a book about kids and food. ...

I put 'gardener at large' on my calling cards. My grandmother lived off the land and had chickens, and when I got chickens she said, "Finally, someone in the family getting back to their roots." I said, "Grandma, they're just pets and for eggs, I'm not going to kill them." She said, "That's close enough."

Mary Rothschild is a former Seattle Times editor; she can be reached at hoffelt_rothschild@hotmail.com.