Meet Kylie Gilliam | Certified Gardenary Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kylie Gilliam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kylie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I made the decision to start my own business I knew that helping others feel the same passion for growing their own food, in their own beautiful garden, with my guidance, was the direction I wanted to take my life. I couldn’t think of anything else I would rather do. Some people go to nursing school, some study technology, and some pay for trade schools or even collage. But none of the usual career paths seemed to fit for me. I did graduate college with a Marketing degree but never really got the “big girl job” I think mostly because I couldn’t imagine being indoors all day and limited to the 9-5 lifestyle. I knew starting my own business would be an investment. Not only financially but in time and energy. I couldn’t think of any other career paths to take. I asked myself “is there anything else you can see yourself doing?” The answer was of course, no! I knew that starting my own business would not be easy and it won’t pay the bills right away but envisioning a future in which I am able to share my passion and do what I love with may people is a dream worth chasing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a Garden Consultant is kind of like being a yoga teacher or like a hair dresser or tattoo artist. I want to share something that I do for myself on a daily basis with others, and help them achieve what I have. As global warming and inflation continue to rise I think a lot of people want to feel like they have some kind of control over something and vegetable gardening is a great way to do that. One of my clients told me that she knows her vegetable garden won’t provide all the food their family needs to eat but it is nice to know that they will have some vegetables and herbs available to them right outside their door. It’s nice to know that some of the things they will be eating will come from her hard work maintaining that garden and knowing exactly what went into producing what they will eat. When I install vegetable gardens for my clients I consider many factors. The sun, the season, the location, what they like to eat, the availability of water. Anyone can plop a tomato plant into a pot and grow some tomatoes with varying success, but Blue Ribbon Garden is so much more than that. When I do a garden installation not only do I focus on a planting plan that is right for the clients particular tastes and the season but I also want to make sure the entire space is beautiful. What sets me apart from the amateur gardener is the eye for detail in all aspects of the garden space. I want to make sure your garden is beautiful as well as functional. Borders, pathways, raised beds, soil blend, trellis, and irrigation are all important to keep the garden successful and keep the client motivated to get out in their garden space.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Huntington Beach and there is certainly no shortage of things to do in the area!

Monday – Downtown HB. I would start right here in my own city. Check out the Surfing Museum. Walk main street and to the end of the pier. Stop at Sandy’s Beach Shack for a Mai Tai and then catch some sun on the sand. You can rent a bike and cruise the boardwalk to dog beach at tower 20. Dinner at Duke’s for iconic pier views.

Tuesday – Lets see some nature. Start with a walk in the Huntington Beach wetlands and grab some breakfast or lunch at Harbour House. After that say hi to the goats at the OC Fairgrounds, the fair may be over the the Centennial Farm stays open year round. From there a trip to downtown Fullerton to see the beautiful botanical gardens. Then wrap things up with dinner back on Main street. 25 Degrees for a great taco Tuesday menu and live music.

Wednesday – Newport. Just a little south of HB, start early with a whale watching tour. Get some TK Burger for lunch and then head to South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island for some shopping. Dinner at Bandera an upscale BBQ restaurant with a dress code.

Thursday – Laguna. Even further south is Laguna Beach known for is classy atmosphere. Check out shops and art gallerys. Book a Spa treatment at The Montage. Have lunch at Ruby’s Diner then head to 1000 Steps Beach. Dinner at Rooftop Lounge for beautiful views of the sunset.

Friday – Long Beach. A few miles north of Huntington. Check out 2nd St for shopping and restaurants. Then head to the Long Beach Aquarium for the afternoon. Dinner at Yard House with views of the Queen Mary.

Saturday – Catalina. From Long Beach take the Catalina express. It’s a 45 min boat ride to the nearby island. Grab a golf cart right away and take the mapped out tour of the island. Visit The Wriggly mansion and gardens. Lunch at Luau Larrys then take a dip in Avalon Bay. Enjoy the shops and get some ice cream before dinner at the Blue Water Grill. Stay at the Pavilion hotel.

Sunday – Descanso Beach. Walking distance from the hotel Descanso beach is a great little resort on Catalina offering cocktails right on the sand. Get the nachos and a mojito. Enjoy basking in some sunlight and floating in the ocean. Take the Catalina express back to Long Beach in the late afternoon. Then return to Huntington Beach for dinner at Capone’s Italian restaurant.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not have made the decision to start my own business without the support from Gardenary. Gardenary is a community focused around growing your own herbs and vegetables, providing support for gardeners at any level of experience and making growing your own food “gardening ordinary” for everyone. Gardenary was founded by Nichole Burke. Today she has certified over 900 Gardenary Consultants nation wide. Nicole was the pioneer of the Garden Consultant business, helping others start their own vegetable gardens in Houston, Texas with her own small business called Rooted Garden. Over the years she has expanded and now runs a large community of both gardeners looking for help with their own vegetable gardens as well as training new consultants to become certified in the Gardenary process and to begin their own journeys starting their own businesses helping others discover the passion and reward of growing their own eatable gardens.

I would also like to recognize Blake Hokans. My partner in life and wonderful supporter of my passion. He has been with me from the beginning when I was first getting started growing my own vegetable garden. It was only a couple pepper plants and a cucumber that was not very successful. Then he suggested that we try growing a watermelon. Not only did a watermelon actually grow but in 2015 we decided to enter that watermelon in the Orange County Fair. We were thrilled when that watermelon won a Blue Ribbon (that’s first place)! Ever since then my passion for gardening and growing my own vegetables and herbs has grown. I couldn’t have done it without him! After many years of lugging bags of dirt, building a raided garden bed and hauling pots for my garden, we are thrilled to enter many vegetables in the fair every year and this year I won sixteen ribbons at the OC Fair. You can see why naming my business Blue Ribbon Garden was the right fit, because I want to help others feel that same Blue Ribbon pride in the vegetables they grow. And now Blake helps me haul bags of dirt for my client’s gardens and together we hope to help many other people achieve the satisfaction of starting a garden, watching it grow and enjoying the rewards.

Website: www.blueribbongarden.com

Instagram: @blueribbongarden

Image Credits
Kylie Gilliam