Gary Pilarchik has been gardening for most of his life. His grandfather taught him about vegetable gardening in first grade, and it ignited a passion that has been with him for 52 years. Gary started his YouTube channel, The Rusted Garden, in 2011 as a way to enjoy himself and teach others about gardening. He has since grown his following to over 425,000 dedicated subscribers, and started a second channel, My First Vegetable Garden, a few years later to cater to first-time vegetable growers. His belief is that a garden wants to give, vegetables want to grow, and everyone can have a successful garden. Providing information and options in his videos, Gary's goal is to educate viewers so they can make informed choices about their gardens. By day, Gary is a clinical mental health therapist who has been working for Johns Hopkins for 15 years. Gardening is a way for him to reduce stress, ground himself, and focus on the beauty of life found in Nature. Gary enjoys meeting gardeners from around the world through his social media reach; he responds to every question and comment people leave for him. He sees vegetable gardening as a global hobby that brings people together across cultures and geographical boundaries.
