About

Antique and Garden Showcase was developed during the summer of 2020 by myself, the host, Mark.  The premise of the channel is to link two hobbies and passions together for a journey of learning and discovery.  I have been involved in both antiques and gardening for most of my life.  

I attended school to teach and achieved an undergraduate and graduate degree in education with an emphasis in music.  I have a minor in business and post-graduate studies in musical theater.   After being in the classroom eleven years, I took a break from education and got involved in merchandising as an independent contractor.  

During this time, I also helped my Uncle, who was instrumental in my love of antiques, liquidate a large antique show booth when he became terminally ill.  I got to know his customer base by name and made many friends in the industry.  In fact, even the Antique & Garden Showcase logo is very special, because it was photographed from the crest of a mirror I bought from my Uncle.

Gardening was a gift from my grandmother and a few really good neighbors over my lifetime.  My grandma was the queen of the most beautiful hanging baskets.  She was an independent lady who ran her own business and was often asked to give tours of the flower areas of her yard.  But, at 14 years old, I started helping neighbors in their yards and gardens to earn a little spending cash.  I even helped one of my neighbors build the English kitchen garden of her dreams from the dirt up.  It's still a beautiful garden to this day.  I later designed my own which you are destined to see in future episodes.

In 2021, I decided to make the most of my downtime by attending Asheford Institute of Antiques online program for antiques and appraising.  After graduating from the program and obtaining my appraisers certification, I knew I wanted to be involved in some retail aspect of antiques.  I joined Long Auction Company in May of 2023 as a cataloguer and appraiser.  It is the most enjoyable job and it feels good to be working within an area of expertise.

As a final note, I want to emphasize that it is my hope that the audience of Antique & Garden Showcase reaches both the young and young-at-heart.  I really want all ages to appreciate, learn and grow in the areas of antiques and gardening.  I feel like I have an almost limitless amount of topics that can be addressed here.  Thank you for joining me, as we go scavenging in antique shops, digging in the dirt, displaying our collections, arranging our flowers, finding that match to a piece you've been looking for and building great indoor and outdoor spaces.  My best to you always!