Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Rush, Claudia Cifuentes, and Jennifer Meyer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We are three friends who met through our children and love of volunteering. When we realized we all liked to garden, educate, and share our experiences, the idea of starting an edible garden business was born. We want to help our friends, neighbors, and the people of our community experience the excitement of growing delicious and healthy foods right at home.
Our business includes design, installation, and maintenance of personal and commercial edible gardens. We also create beautiful container gardens, host Build Your Own Garden parties, In-School Field Trips, and Plants & Pints social events. We have a full line of Small Batch Spa Products including soaps, massage oils, sugar scrubs, and bath buds made with fresh ingredients from the garden. Whether you have a spacious backyard or a modest patio, we can create an edible garden you’ll enjoy!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting a small business has been an exciting challenge for us! We’ve learned so much and made a few mistakes along the way. Luckily, we have each other, and we each bring different strengths to the business. We’ve learned how to navigate the details of paying taxes and tracking inventory, how to ship our products throughout the nation, and how to protect our plants and products from damage. It’s been a wild ride so far, and we love learning along the way!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Garden a la Carte – what should we know?
Our business has several facets, but our primary focus is on designing, installing, and maintaining edible gardens. We build the custom-sized cedar raised beds ourselves and hand-select the edible plants for each of our customers. We maintain and protect the gardens for the first 30 days as part of the installation agreement. After that, we are happy to set up a maintenance plan for every customer, so their edible garden is easy, fun, and fruitful! We also do “farmscaping”; the practice of landscaping with edible plants. Big or small, we can create a garden for everyone.
We also make gorgeous Table Top Gardens for those who prefer to container garden or those who have small spaces. We host private parties called BYOG (Build Your Own Garden) where participants share time together building a garden to take home. We supply everything for the garden, and our host/hostess provides the refreshments. It’s lots of fun! We also do in-school field trip centered with curriculum focused on the state standards and beyond. We have over 20 years’ experience as Broward County Public School System substitute teachers between us.
Finally, we make Small Batch Spa Products with ingredients from the garden. We offer soaps, massage oils, sugar scrubs, and bath buds in three signature fragrances: Coconut Lime, Peppermint Tea, and Lemon Basil. Our handmade Small Batch Spa Products are priced at $10.00 or less (very affordable), and we ship throughout the continental United States via our website www.gardenalacarte.com.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We are truly self-made. Of course, we have to thank our families and friends for their support and encouragement. We couldn’t do this without their loving support!
Pricing:
- Small Batch Spa Products all $10.00 or less
- Table Top Gardens from $15.00 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gardenalacarte.com
- Phone: 754-444-1727
- Email: gardenalacarte@gmail.com
- Instagram: @gardenalacarte
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardenalacarte/
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA 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.
