Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Gignilliat.
After a successful career in the business world, Mary, the owner of Gardens That Grow, decided to leave her desk job to pursue something that had always interested her: horticulture. In 2002, Mary became an Illinois Master Gardener and began taking horticulture and design courses at The Chicago Botanic Garden. She continues to take classes because “the learning curve never plateaus.”
For seven seasons, from 2006 to 2012, Mary worked in the Perennial Department at Gethsemane Garden Center. While there, Mary honed her expertise in plants and urban gardening. In 2008, she co-founded Gardens That Grow so that she could use her design savvy and plant knowledge to create beautiful landscapes and container displays throughout Chicago and Evanston.
Mary’s plant motto, which she learned in school, is “Right Plant, Right Place.” She applies this notion to her landscape designs because she believes that a plant sited properly makes the design effective. True to this motto, Mary has found her “right place” in the garden.
2018 marks GTG’s 10th anniversary. Like the gardens we plant, we continue to grow!
Has it been a smooth road?
2018 is our tenth anniversary!
For the first 5 seasons, from 2008-2012, Gardens that Grow was co-owned. My business partner and I decided to part ways because she got married and wanted to start a family. Running a business, like being a mother, is a full-time job. It was an amicable, smart decision that made sense for both of us.
In 2014, I decided to purchase a retiring colleague’s business. In hindsight, we should have paid closer attention to the logistics of such an endeavor. Neither of us used a lawyer, which is not advisable when dealing with such a large, complicated transaction. On the downside, many of her clients decided not to use the services of GTG for various reasons, which impacted the purchase cost. However, we did not include that contingency into our agreement. Would I do it again? Yes, but only with the help of a competent lawyer.
Finding qualified employees is a constant struggle. My current crew is amazing. I am truly fortunate because I could not run my business without them. I would like to expand the business further, but it’s difficult without competent employees.
Given that I can’t find qualified workers, I have to turn away a lot of business, which is a good, but a bad problem. I would love to work with everyone that calls, but I just don’t have the staff.
Finally, I am not cut out for the business part of owning a company. I loathe dealing with invoicing, taxes, payroll, yawn, yawn, yawn. I have had disastrous experiences with bookkeepers and accountants, which has interrupted cash flow and forced me to use my savings and retirement money to pay bills and make payroll.
Starting with this season, I have hired someone to run that end of the biz. Now I can focus on what I love which is meeting with clients, designing landscapes and container gardens, writing proposals and executing the plans. All are my strengths and I should play to them.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Gardens That Grow – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Gardens that Grow specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of lush urban landscapes and beautiful container gardens. We also install “hardscapes” – patios, retaining walls, fire pits, et al.And finally, we do outdoor seasonal decor for Halloween, Fall and the holidays. In 2017, we installed indoor holiday decorations for a client who was incapacitated, and we enjoyed it so much that we might do it again.
Gardening in an urban environment has special challenges. Sun is in short supply either from large trees or tall buildings. The soil is usually compacted, which not only makes it difficult to dig planting holes but also to grow plants. Roots from large trees hog the resources (soil, light, water, nutrients) necessary for growing smaller plants. Garden spaces are small to non-existent. Growing plants in containers on roof decks require careful plant selection and regular watering. If homeowners are not familiar with gardening, they will not know how to accommodate for these challenging conditions. That’s where GTG steps in and saves the day.
We subscribe to the theory “right plant, right place”. We believe that choosing the right plants for specific conditions will create lasting beauty. Our experience has taught us what works and where. For example, I have a roof deck with 30 containers that serve as a giant laboratory for testing which plants survive season after season in containers. Gardening in shade is also difficult. We have experimented with all varieties of plants in our own gardens to determine which ones work the best in shady conditions.
In addition to our plant expertise, we know how to maintain the whole garden so that it will look its best all season. Not many landscapers provide such maintenance because it requires extensive, hard-earned book and field learning. At GTG, we pride ourselves on our maintenance skills. We can identify the plants and provide individualized care, which allows our clients to enjoy, rather than worry about, their gardens.
As the owner, I take great pride in the work we do, but none of it would be possible without my amazing, tireless and delightful crew. They are renown for their good manners, politeness and amiability. My clients love them, They amaze me with their work ethic and good humor. When we get really busy, my mind races and I can’t speak coherently, My team can anticipate what I am trying to say and finish my thoughts and sentences. That’s synergy!
Ultimately, I am grateful to know them and to have the opportunity to work with them.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I am likely biased because I was born, raised and educated here, but I believe Chicago is the most underrated city in the world. People think it is a rest stop between the two coasts. Some of my college dorm-mates from NYC thought they were going to be trudging through cornfields to get to class. They were pleasantly surprised at the cultural offerings, beauty and cleanliness of Chicago.
People always complain about the weather, but I don’t think it’s that bad – probably because I work outside and have the right gear to wear when it’s miserable. I am also off during January and February which means I don’t have to deal with commuting in the snow. However, I love to frolic in the snow with my dog so I am usually out enjoying it.
What do I like best? For me, it’s home, family, work. I love it for that.
What do I like least? Potholes! On a serious note, Chicago is very segregated which leads to much of the violence the city is known for. I think the media misrepresents the violence – we all don’t live in a war zone – but certain neighborhoods are unsafe. Minority populations are congregated in these areas where economic opportunities are dismal, schools are inadequate and housing is uninhabitable. I am not sure how to solve these problems, but I know they stem from the extreme segregation.
Pricing:
- Labor costs are $75 per hour per worker
Contact Info:
- Address: 1341 N Fullerton Avenue
Suite 214
Chicago, Illinois 60614 - Website: www.gardensthatgrow.com
- Phone: 312-953-2293
- Email: mary@gardensthatgrow.com
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
