Nicole Johnsey Burke describes starting a part-time, backyard garden business called Rooted Garden. She began with a small raised bed and used her personal resources (minivan, home tools) to deliver plants and compost, keeping costs low. The business grew by word-of-mouth across the city, allowing her to serve her community, spend time with her four kids, and earn income without a storefront or large budget.
Chapters
You know, the feminine urge to have it all, to own your own business, spend time with your kids, set your own schedule, and have the prettiest garden on the block. Well, this is my version of that. Welcome to my garden business. A part time lifestyle business that I run from my backyard and call the Rooted Garden. I don't have a shop downtown or a fancy website, but I feel like I'm living like Martha Stewart. I started with a small raised bed garden along my driveway where I display all my clients can grow in their own gardens every season. I didn't need to invest in a farm or a big storefront. I just used my minivan to deliver plants and compost to clients, using the tools and things I have to keep my costs low so I can focus on the fun stuff, helping my clients get confident growing their own gardens. And it actually worked. Strangers from across the city started ordering garden consults. And just as I'd finished with their garden, they tell their friends and neighbors and I'd end up helping them start gardening too. Starting this little business became more than I ever expected. It's a way to serve my community, have time with my four kids, and make money too. So if you've ever felt that urge to have it all, just know you don't need to have a huge network or a giant budget to get started.