Today we’d like to introduce you to DESIREE’ SIMS.
Hi DESIREE’, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My earliest memory is me, staring out the sliding glass door of mine and my moms 1 bedroom apartment in Clearwater, imagining a vegetable garden growing there…I eventually got that home garden, after a few decades…
Fast forward to college (USF, go Bulls!), where I minored in public health, learning about health disparities, preventable diseases and how what we eat influences those health outcomes.
I started learning about how to grow my own food in our city and wanting to teach others, so that neighbors could improve their health and be self sufficient. I focused on volunteering starting community gardens and teaching fellow gardeners for 10+ years. When Covid began in 2020, my “day job” became obselete and I saw an opportunity to help neighbors feed themselves, despite the empty shelves at the grocery store. I started trading fresh tomatoes for other foods with neighbors and became known as “the tomato lady”!
This led to me officially starting a business and launching Peas and Love Edible Gardening Services!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a pretty smooth road Id say; lots and lots of learning and growth along the way, but, that comes with the space of being a small business owner. The way I see it, being an entreprenuer is basically just a career in creatively solving problem after problem lol.
As you know, we’re big fans of Peas and love edible gardening LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the founder of Peas & Love Edible Gardening, an edible gardening company based in St. Petersburg, Florida. I help people grow food at home through consultations, raised bed installations, garden coaching and hands-on education designed specifically for Central Florida’s unique climate.
A Florida native who has been gardening organically since 2007, I have helped hundreds of homeowners, renters, families, and community spaces successfully grow their own food. I have also launched multiple thriving community gardens throughout Tampa Bay and teach gardening in a way that feels approachable, realistic and achievable.
My mission is to make growing food feel less overwhelming and more doable, helping people reconnect with nature, save money, build confidence, and create beautiful, productive spaces right outside their door.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My clients have definitely played the biggest role in the success of my business; I learn something from each and every consultation and install and that goes back into improving my business on the daily.
Also, my children. They’ve grown up in our home gardens and on the job with me; they keep me going and motivate me!
Pricing:
- Consultation 125
- 1:1 Garden Coaching 95
- Installs *VARY*
- Classes & workshops $0-$30
- Small space gardens *vary*
Contact Info:
- Website: TampaBayEdibleGardensCom
- Instagram: @PeasAndLoveGardens
- Facebook: @PeasAndLoveGardens
- LinkedIn: @PeasAndLoveGardens
- Youtube: @PeasAndLoveGardens
