Janie’s work blends her background in graphic design with her passion for gardening. She creates striking images of pressed flowers that reveal her profound discoveries about nature. Her garden is planned specifically with flower pressing in mind. "I am happiest when working in the dirt because that is where my creations originate. I also delight in the discovery phase of flower pressing when I re-open my presses after waiting the appropriate drying time. Every time is like the first time when I witness the plant’s dramatic transformation. I never tire of nature’s magic!"

A graphic designer/author/teacher, Janie graduated from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia and from the Floral Design Certificate Program at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. She worked in advertising for more than twenty years, including tenures with TV Guide and The Philadelphia Zoo. Late in her career, she took a break from advertising to develop her long-standing interest in gardening and flowers. During this break, she created and authored her internationally acclaimed book The Afterlife of Flowers.

Janie is also one of America’s leading experts in flower pressing. Along with her successful book, she has traveled extensively in the U.S. to sign books and to share her passion for flower pressing. She has been a keynote speaker and judge at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest indoor flower show in the world. She is on the faculty at Longwood Gardens, the world’s premier horticultural display garden, where she introduced their first-ever courses in flower pressing. Janie has passed on her knowledge and boundless enthusiasm to hundreds of students. During the summer of 2001, Janie traveled to Japan to study with Nobuo Sugino, master flower presser, and to lecture at Japan’s International Pressed Flower Art Society exhibition in Niigata, Japan. In spring 2004, Kohl’s department stores are featuring the Janie Gross Pillow Collection™. Stay tuned for more unique products. . .