Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Hyman.
Hi Elizabeth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have worked in the restaurant industry for the last 20 years (my adult life). Restaurant work is hard work. You’re on your feet all day, 10-12 hour shifts, in high-stress situations, and often working 40+ hours a week. I’ve always “worked my way to the top,” no matter my job. I’ve helped grow businesses but have yet to embark on anything for myself. After operating a restaurant through a pandemic, I finally recognized the importance of self-care and that special place we call home. The Gardeners Wife was born out of the need to feel more connected to everything and do something for myself. This is my story about how I got here; it’s about how I finally found myself by doing something for myself. Every day during the pandemic, I went to work.
I worked hard to get us, a restaurant, through a swift and abrupt transition from dine-in to take-out only and survive a pandemic. We never closed, not one day, to do that. Every morning, as I would leave for work, I’d say goodbye to my husband Aaron, who was, inevitably, always working in the garage on a project for a client. The garage is his workshop, and his office sits just inside, off the kitchen. He owns a landscape design company called Austin Yard Barber and thrives doing it. He, too, was in the restaurant industry his entire life and knew nothing else. What he did know, however, was what he loved to do. He loved working outside, in nature, with his hands in the dirt. He loved working with plants, steel, and wood and crafting outdoor spaces. So, in 2018, he leaped and started Austin Yard Barber. As I left for work, day after day, I saw him doing what he loves, and I thought, “I want to do that too.” I wanted to do what I loved, just like he did. Why wasn’t I? Am I not allowed or afraid to do it? I love coffee. I love being cozy in my home. I love unique, handmade goods, and I love decorating. I’m good at running restaurants, but am I passionate about it? On Mother’s Day 2020, I had a socially distant coffee date with my mom, brother & sister-in-law. I told them about something my boss had said when the pandemic began. She said, “You might want to think about what you want to do because you might not have a job in a year.” “What do I do?” I asked. “Well,” my brother said, “Nancy and I thought about, maybe, opening a coffee shop one day.” My ears perked up because of the coffee. “I would love to help with that!” I said, because it’s safe, it’s what I know.
We chatted a little about it but then moved to another topic. As I drove home that afternoon, it came to me. It’s the clearest vision I have ever seen. I wanted to open a coffee shop that had plants all around, and they’d hang from the ceiling. We’ll have couches and comfortable workspaces, and in the back of the shop will be a little “plant-inspired” boutique that will sell all things pots and coffee mugs and tote bags, all made by local women artists. It will be called The Gardeners Wife. Going from coffee shop to pop-up shop happened quickly when I realized I did not want to be in the restaurant industry any longer, and I didn’t want to deal with staffing shortages, product delays, or the upkeep of a coffee shop. What I did realize is that I wanted to pursue the second part of what “The Gardeners Wife Coffee/Shop” was going to be: The Shop!
As it was in my mind in June of 2020, the shop would be where I would bring in small-batch, handmade goods created by women artists and-owned businesses that all had one common theme: plants. The shop would supply everything to make your home your sanctuary and provide organic and eco-friendly products to enrich our lives. The shop would support the community through different classes about plants and programs on plant care hosted by the Gardener himself and other pros in the field. Ultimately, The Shop would be a learning, growing, and connecting space. The rest, as they say, is history.
Where do the dried flowers come in? I started creating dried floral arrangements in June 2022 and loved everything. From finding the flowers to arranging them, I found peace in my mind as I sat on the floor, creating a beautiful mess with stems, leaves, and buds. The Gardeners Wife took on a whole new meaning, taking a rigid shape into what it is today. Today, you can order custom arrangements and find my arrangements all around Austin as I continue to pop up at different markets. Most recently, however, you can see my flowers 7-days a week at my brand new brick-and-mortar shop that I opened with my best friends (Shelley Moon Designs + Ryan Doolittle Glass), CLOVER + MAVEN, located in East Austin.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
Working a full-time job and trying to grow a brand is hard work, and I give you much respect for all the artists still doing it. I did it for a solid two years, and it had a lot of struggles and challenges along the way. Mindset is the first thing that comes to my mind. Shifting my mindset from Restaurant operations to Pop-up Curated Shop operations took a lot of work toward the end of my full-time job. As The Gardeners Wife grew and I worked with my partners to open Clover + Maven, thinking only about my business on the weekends became increasingly harder. Running a restaurant in the role that I was in meant being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I remember last year, being out of town for a 3-day Holiday market and being on the phone with the General Manager, trying to work out an issue while greeting the customers coming into my booth and trying to sell my products. I pushed myself forward to grow my brand by doing pop-up shows almost every weekend. In my first year, I did over 80 pop-up shows, and with 52 weekends in a year, that’s at least one a week. It energized me doing these pop-ups but also drained me in that I never really had a day off. That would be the second obstacle or challenge I had. I am having enough energy to “do it all.” I can’t tell you how often I would hear other vendors say, “I don’t know how you do it.” I would say to them, “I don’t either. I keep my head down, and I keep on going.” What kept me going was knowing that after putting enough time in at these pop-ups all across Texas, The Gardeners Wife could be a household name. I’m still working towards that goal.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My dried floral arrangements are unique pieces that last “a lifetime.” Working with dried flowers is a meditation, taking them stem by stem and arranging them into a beautiful bouquet. One stem could be more stunning, but it gets more exciting and beautiful when you join them. Each bouquet becomes its unique piece of art. One way to take a piece of art with you is with one of my hat pins. I started making these hat pins for my hats, but I was getting inquiries from a few friends who had Hat Bars set up in their shops, so I started making them regularly, and they are now a staple in my shop.
I also started making hair combs with flowers on them. I wear my hair up a lot, mostly because I have a lot of it, but also, it’s Texas, so it’s hot almost always. I wanted to update you on something that took me from daytime crafting to a nighttime dinner out, so I created these hair combs. You stick one in the side of your bun, or even with hair down, you can use the comb to pull the hair away from your face and immediately change your look to something more than just “hair up or hair down.” I love being able to put minimal effort into a fabulous look, and this does it! Lastly, I enjoy working with folks to create a preserved arrangement that will forever remind them of their special day, whether a wedding, an engagement, a retirement dinner, or a holiday centerpiece. My designs and my flowers are a tactile memory of that day. It’s a memory that will last for years in both the mind and in its presence. When I create custom work, I work one-on-one with the client to create a bouquet they will love and have a hand in creating. My years of experience in the restaurant industry, crafting an experience that will linger in your mind and call you back for seconds, makes me stand out from the rest of the floral designers out there. Well, that and my forever flowers.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If you’re a retailer, my flowers are available for wholesale! I work with Faire to organize and ship out orders; more info can be found on my website, thegardenerswife.com. I am also currently accepting holiday custom orders- Christmas table settings or centerpieces. You can also head to my website for that and click on “custom orders” to start your journey!
Pricing:
- Custom bouquets start at $40
- Hat pins $22 / Hair Combs $45
- Bouquets range from $10-$75
Contact Info:
- Website: thegardenerswife.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/the.gardenerswife
- Facebook: facebook.com/thegardenerswifeatx
- Other: https://faire.com/direct/thegardenerswife
Image Credits
The last two (in gray tank top, darker photos) are by Nikole Velasco Photography
