Meet Ray

Welcome to My Backyard Imagined.

I’m a backyard enthusiast from Columbus, Ohio, with a lifelong passion for turning outdoor spaces into places of creativity, learning, and joy. I love gardening, composting, entertaining, bird watching, attracting bees, growing native plants—and yes, even the occasional squirrel chase.

I started my journey in Athens, Ohio, where in 2007, I moved my 20-year-old Norfolk, VA based specialty food manufacturing company - Purely American. In 2012, I was bitten by the compost bug when I launched The Compost Exchange, an OHIO EPA-licensed Class 2 composting facility.

In 2015, I closed the food business and in 2017 moved to Columbus (where I grew up) to devote full time to growing The Compost Exchange. Six years later, with eight weekend drop off booths and curbside composting during the week, I sold The Compost Exchange to four of its members. That story continues as the new owners - led by Michael Kelley, have exciting plans for TCE.

In 2024, I created a 100% paid grant program for the region’s community gardens, building (for those that qualified) one of my 3-bay composting systems. To build these systems, I converted my garage into a small woodshop. That’s when I launched My Backyard Imagined. In that space I now handcraft wooden fire pit, patio, and deck furniture, raised beds, 6 & 8 bucket Instant Garden racks, vertical garden racks, birdhouse condos, tree swings, and 3-bay compost systems. Each project reflects my interest in sustainability and hands-on craftsmanship. Go to Products and Services up at the top for details.

I’m an educator at heart, sharing what I’ve learned about native plants, pollinators, and sustainable backyard living. My goal is to inspire others to make the most of their own outdoor spaces—one garden bed, birdhouse, or compost bin at a time.

P.S. When I launched The Compost Exchange in 2012 in Athens, Ohio, I also started collecting empty 5-gallon buckets from some of the restaurants that I served. I continue this free service in Columbus, as I thought it was really crazy tossing these useful buckets into the landfill after only one use. I now sell them in sets of 10 for as low as $1.00 each. So many ways to use them around the house - TOOL/TOY STORAGE, SCHOOL PROJECTS, PET FEEDERS, CAMPING SHOWERS, GARDENS IN A BUCKET. Use this tab for all the details - REPURPOSED 5-GALLON BUCKETS.