Hi, my name is Erica Mita. I started The Little Shovel to fill a gap for the type of landscaping services I was looking for but couldn’t find. I wanted a beautiful garden, but I also wanted to heal my compacted subdivision soil, emphasize native plants, and provide a habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and other species. Because of all these elements, my garden is a great place for humans to hang out. The term regenerative landscaping seems to capture our ethos best. We focus on designs that offer:
High level of aesthetic design using natural, non-toxic elements
Wildlife habitat spaces that bloom from spring to fall
Montana native plants. These are more likely to thrive in our dry environment and support insects that evolved to live here. So, as development takes away native plants, we can help our pollinator friends by adding them back into our gardens.
Improving soil quality and increasing microorganisms
I graduated with a BA in Environmental Studies from Montana State University, emphasizing sustainable food systems. I studied permaculture design under Dave Jacke and was part of his design team for the 6th Ward Edible Garden Park in Helena, Montana. I am now training with Lisa Nunamaker at the Paper Garden Workshop and in the Longwood Gardens Certificate of Merit in Landscape Design program.
I have many years of experience in graphic design and cofounded SPARKLE BOMB STUDIO, a design and marketing company, with my husband. I have been privileged to work with the talented architects and development team at THINKTANK Design Group, which focuses on sustainable building methods and hand-crafted, local artisan finishes, and Madison Farm to Fork, a grassroots non‐profit organization dedicated to nurturing a local food system.
In 2021, I transformed a dirt lot next to my house into a budding permaculture garden using Montana native and non-native plants. Please check out the gallery to learn more.