Welcome to ableveg, I’m Laura.

I come from a long line of experienced gardeners and remember helping in the garden from the time I was three.  You could say I’m a lifelong gardener. I’ve started numerous successful vegetable gardens, some of which continue to produce even in former homes we have since left.  In my current home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I have 17 thriving raised garden beds with lots of containers and other planted areas.

my Story

Laura Koval, owner and lead mentor

Hello!  My name is Laura and I am the Owner of AbleVeg.  I have been a lifelong gardener and became a Master Gardener via the OSU Extension program in Tulsa County in 2016.

 In 2019 we adopted two young foster kids into our home. I decided to diverge from my corporate career just months before we adopted those kids and my life changed. I wanted to help my community, spend more time with my kids, and demonstrate that passions and talents drive the desire to do good work.  It was based on that decision and questions I received as a Master Gardener that AbleVeg was born. I know firsthand how important a garden space can become – and how frustrating it can be to watch a garden fail.

 I continue to volunteer for my county extension service and am one of their vegetable gardening teachers.  I am certified in garden design and love incorporating edible plants into beautiful landscapes.  I am also the Garden Director at Tulsa YouthWorks, where I plan and implement the gardens and run the Multiponic Greenhouse while working with underprivileged youth in North Tulsa and help provide fresh food to the families in this food desert. I have been invited to speak at the Tulsa Garden Center, Tulsa Botanic Gardens, multiple garden clubs, Master Gardener Association Meetings, and the Tulsa Library. in 2021 our backyard garden, which we use as a test garden for new varieties of vegetables and products, was featured on the 2021 Tulsa Master Gardener Garden Tour. Multiple other organizations have toured our garden as well. I have been featured on News on 6 and VNN, as well as in the Tulsa Voice and Tulsa Kids magazines .

We have helped set up 200+ gardens and trained gardeners to have healthy, organic gardens. We have built many beautiful custom beds and have great online reviews. Our social media pages engage gardeners around the world and our YouTube channel provides a wealth of information to help gardener’s find success. My video on Chinese Red Noodle beans is the most successful of its kind and I continue to work to add value to our educational channels.

I like to create great relationships with my clients and create a space they want to spend time in; a space that fills them with pride and joy. I look forward to helping you find the joy and love of your garden and all it has to offer you and your loved ones.

jody walker, construction lead

Jody grew up in the Tulsa area and ever since he was young has always felt fulfilled when experiencing the natural world Green Country has to offer.  From its urban gardens and forests to the surrounding rural and wild landscapes, he was always interested in exploring and learning.  That interest grew into a love of studying and managing natural resources to be sustainable and beneficial.  He has years of experience managing forests in Oklahoma consulting and producing plans for management as a Service Forester.  Jody has also worked in construction as a general contractor, as well as analytics as a mapping analyst.  Today, he likes to be a part of helping his community by using his hands to build and manage for future gardens.  “I like being a part of a company that enables so many others to build a more self-fulfilling life in the intent of sustainable living, through the practice of vegetable gardening.”

Justin Beougher, construction lead

Justin spent his childhood growing up in Western Colorado.  Has Dad was a carpenter and helped fuel Justin’s passion and skillset for building things with wood, from garden beds to Murphy beds, and everything in between.  “I like how unique something constructed from wood can be.  Even things of the same size and shape can be different when using different grains and different types of wood.”  His background as an engineer aids in creating new projects and tweaking current designs.  Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 kids.  Many weekends are spent exploring the Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri areas looking for the next place to hike, camp and enjoy nature.