About Us
Cultivating Harmony with Nature
Hello I’m Anna
I am a single mother to two teenage kids, caring for my family by providing a safe, secure, and loving home. I am the founder and creator of In-Joy. Additionally, I run my own photography business, and I am an advocate for Pia Apaa, Great Salt Lake, helping to give the lake a voice and restoring water to her.
I am motivated in my life and business to cultivate a relationship of respect and reciprocity with nature. I am always looking for opportunities to learn and understand the world through traditional Indigenous practices, and spiritual connection to the earth’s gifts. One of my greatest joys is connecting with those who want to make a difference in the land they inhabit, and how to develop a relationship with the natural world and the living beings that reside in it.
In 2012, I was diagnosed with stage III Breast cancer. During this time, gardening became a therapeutic refuge for me. I discovered healing just outside my front door, learning to differentiate between the weeds and the shrubs, and how to tend to them. Ironically, my passion for gardening mirrored my mother’s lifelong love for her garden and plants; an obsession I saw as an annoyance and was a great source of frustration to me. In 2015, my mother was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Our strained relationship transformed as I was able to completely accept her for who she was, and begin a new love for all she was.
During her last days, my appreciation, joy, and love for my mother became intertwined with my acceptance of her passion for gardening, and I wanted this gift to carry on past her life. Every time I’m out in nature, pruning, weeding, digging, feeling utterly connected to basic elements of this earth, she is with me. It is miraculous, the love and acceptance I’ve learned through my mother’s human life, and how it lives on through me, in nature.
The Meaning Behind "IN JOY"
The name “IN JOY” emerged not long after my mother’s passing. A spiritual medium shared a message from my mother and guiding angels, to build and create something that would fulfill and challenge me in every way. The phrase, “In Joy”, represents being fully present and fully living “in the joy” that life has to offer.
This is the guiding force in my work, to help others appreciate and build awareness of the nature that lives outside their doors. Working with In Joy is an opportunity to look at your yard and outdoor space with a new perspective. I am excited to help you see past the ideals of the standard American grass lawn, and show you how your home landscape can create a habitat for pollinators, thrive without the use of chemicals and pesticides, and be a refuge for peace and connection.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Acknowledging the original stewards of the land we live on is an important step in my practice as a landscape artist. As an artist helping people reclaim their outdoor spaces, I honor and uphold the original stewards and inhabitants of the land known as Utah, which is named after the Yuta-Shoshone peoples, and are the ancestral and unceded territories of the Shoshone, Goshute, Ute, Paiute, and Diné peoples. I look to Indigenous practices and knowledge in my connection to the earth and acknowledge the violence and displacements of the past and present, the healing I strive to be a part of, and the growth of the future.
Our Philosophy
Creating beautiful spaces that respect the nature that surrounds you as well as your time to enjoy it.
Sustainable + Native gardens because of the eco-friendliness they offer. Water conservation, low maintenance, no need for chemicals and fertilizers, clean air, providing wildlife habitat for butterflies, birds, and bees.
Transform Your Space Today
Are you ready to transform your outdoor space into a vibrant and thriving haven? Schedule a Reclamation Consultation with us today and learn how to reclaim and create the outdoor sanctuary of your dreams!