Turning My Love of Gardening and Healthy Eating into a Business of Helping Others: An Interview with Ashley Irene
“If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table, not a taller fence.”
I sat in Ashley’s charming garden one Sunday evening, experiencing true garden-to-table culinary creations from the fruits and vegetables harvested straight out of her organic garden. Ashley’s heirloom tomatoes have become a well-known product among talented local chefs and picky foodies alike, and I found out why. I couldn’t believe the amazing flavors, not to mention the unique varieties, and how much better they tasted than any other tomato I have ever eaten.
Our Sunday supper quickly became a magical experience. Against the backdrop of an historic 1927 Chateau-style home, visited by hummingbirds and wild parrots, a meaningful conversation inevitably led to a formal interview with Ashley to explore her vision and creation of Heirloom Potager, an organic garden design and educational business that had stirred up quite a demand in Orange County, CA.
Like so many of us, my interest in gardening began when the pandemic hit, which led to meeting Ashley; but what truly propelled me to have this interview was her passion and kindness to help the community. When her neighbors and clients raised concerns about random people taking produce from her unfenced and exposed garden out front, she answered: “Well, it has crossed my mind but I thought to myself, I started this business to share my knowledge and help others grow food. If they need it badly enough to take it from my garden then they probably need it more than I do.”
Q:
What inspired you to start a homegrown organic garden, then turn it into a successful business?
A:
I’ve always been trying to garden. Even when I shared a tiny apartment with no outdoor space with my husband, I would try to grow orchids indoors with whatever space I had. Growing up on my grandparents’ farm, we always went to the garden, picked the produce and made dinner with them. So I just always thought that’s how everyone else ate, too, growing up. Showing hospitality and how much you care through thoughtfulness in preparing food was very much how my mother and grandmother nurtured our entire family.
When I moved away from that environment and got to experience urban life, I enjoyed the convenience of dining out and picking up fast food for a while, but also saw the detriment of what that lifestyle did to my health and my family’s health. I began to notice too, at that time, farm lands being converted into commercial zones. The realization of urban developments and what has become of modern agriculture and how destructive that is became one of the many underlying factors that made me want to start my own garden.
After moving to California with my husband, we bought a house with enough space to set up a garden. It was around the same time my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and it further solidified the importance for me to take care of our health, and that starts with cleaner food. It was a series of unconscious decisions and following my own heart that led me to my gardening business. I actually went to school for marketing and got my MBA, and my marketing teacher will be the first one to tell you that she would have never guessed I would become this, LOL.
The final push I needed was when my mother, who has worked hard all her life, told me she wanted me to do what will bring me absolute joy in life, and left me just enough money to build my garden. In a way, she became a part of my garden, and her legacy will be with my business, always.
Q:
What are most of your clients looking for and what are the services you provide for them?
A:
Most of our clients come to us because they simply have an interest in gardening. Our process is to get to know them, their lifestyle, what their families like and dislike to eat, then find out where their comfort zone is and design a solution to make their gardening experience enjoyable. At the same time we coach them through every stage of gardening and introduce new ways of using each produce variety to encourage culinary creativity on their part. And that is probably the key difference of what we do at Heirloom Potager.
The idea of Heirloom Potager came from the French culture of having a kitchen garden for their “Pot of the day.” I think it is a part of the European lifestyle that’s so beautiful because they really value the freshness and the leisurely meals. And I want to bring that to homeowners, to show them they can do this easily even when they don’t think they have enough time or space.
Our clients usually request some sort of ongoing maintenance for their gardens as well. It is important for us to provide that kind of support for our clients so they don’t feel like we just came and installed the garden and then left them on their own. I want my clients to feel a sense of community and for them to feel comfortable enough to come to us for advice or assistance when needed.
The quality and taste of our produce is what attracts our restaurant clientele, so that becomes a fun challenge for us to create something that will help sustain the freshness and flavors chefs desire to enhance their creations. One of the projects we are currently working on is designing a patio greenhouse for restaurants to grow their own microgreens. In this particular process we are involved in not only the design of the space but are controlling the specific flavor profiles so restaurants don’t need to rely on another grower for consistency.
Other than homeowners and restaurants, I also enjoy working with companies because many of them are actually at the forefront of organic gardening. Many companies or commercial buildings convert an otherwise unused space like the rooftop or terrace to provide a garden for their employees to cultivate and that’s when I would come in and design that space so people who don’t necessarily have the space at home can also get started with gardening.
Q:
I know your main business philosophy is about helping people. Can you tell me more about how Heirloom Potager is involved in the community?
A:
We are always interested in helping charitable organizations that need additional support. We put away 5% profit from every garden we install to generate the funds we need to donate to organizations that do a lot for their community.
One of the projects we’ve done was to host a virtual workshop for a local high school. Herb kits were created for 70 kids, to grow them and plant them together. We got 100% participation where 67 kits were picked up the very first day. The school later on told me it was their most successful event with the best turnout during COVID. It’s so rewarding to see all the kids getting that excited and asking questions on how they are doing. It’s a testament to what gardening can bring to the community.
Another project I’m currently working on is with the nonprofit organization ICAN in Torrance, CA. We had converted 2,400 square feet of their unused space into a garden full of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, watermelons, berries, radishes, herbs, and beans! We are currently working on a whole new plan for fall for the team to keep growing all year long.
More and more I see all around me how gardening brings people together. It creates a subtle cultural shift that further encourages the dialogue of how we look at growing food. There was a great sense of pride and honor in growing food. I feel that sense of pride is returning, and with a beautiful vengeance. Because more and more people are realizing the kind of damage that has been done to our planet as well as our health over the years and want to make some changes. We still have a long way to go until the idea of gardening doesn’t feel burdensome, that it feels like a gift. And that’s what I would like to do for the community.
Q:
Do you have any big plans for Heirloom Potager in the near future?
A:
We are continuing to grow, continuing our work in supporting our community in finding great solutions for homeowners as well as restaurants and making gardening accessible for everyone. We will be partnering up with a community college this fall for an interesting project, and would like to partner with several more restaurants.
My goal is to eventually have a nursery so we are definitely working toward making that a reality. If we continue to grow at the rate we are now, this could very well happen soon. The thought of it makes me so excited and so thankful of my community and the positive responses I’ve been receiving.
Q:
As a successful entrepreneur, what advice would you give to others who are considering turning their passions into a business or career?
A:
I would say do your research and then put your ideas into action. Don’t get caught up in all the things that are not happening but focus on all the things that are happening. Build supportive relationships, not only with people in the industry but also with those adjacent to your industry, and align yourself with good advisors that will be there for you and help make your vision come true.
Be sure to create deeper, more meaningful connections with like-minded people. As an entrepreneur, you will have moments where you feel like you don’t have anyone to go to. Having those who genuinely want to see you succeed will help you get through those moments and give you the encouragement you need. That became one of the biggest things in my own growth journey not just as an entrepreneur but as a person — the realization that I need those relationships in my life. As an MBA graduate, I used to think I didn't need help in business, that I should already know everything, but I am so close to my business it is precisely why I need an outside perspective.
Don’t forget to nurture yourself in the process. Entrepreneurs are usually wearing many hats and doing everything on their own, especially for such a young company. Our to-do list is never finished. There is always something that needs to be done. It took me a while to get there but I learned taking care of ourselves is so important. When we take care of ourselves, we take care of our clients. So take the time to nurture your physical health as well as your mental health, and continue growing yourself as a person. That is the foundation to build your success upon.
Ashley Irene is a garden designer, an MBA, and the founder of Heirloom Potager. She is currently booking for September and October consultations. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram, Facebook, or at heirloompotager.com.
