We had the good fortune of connecting with Cody Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Cody, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My whole life was changed when I started gardening. The process of growing plants and nurturing that environment snowballed in more ways than I can ever imagine. What started with 9 plants turned into a full back and front yard urban garden, starting a gardening organization online and in person with 2k+ members and quitting my corporate job and pursuing the dream to make sure everyone has a beautiful ‘garden space’ to relax and heal in.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Most of my professional life I was ‘growing solo’. I spent 16 years in the restaurant industry. Originally the plan was to just do this to help pay for bills and college. I graduated Suma Cum Laude from ASU but unfortunately there were not very many jobs when I graduated in 2008 (we all know how that went). I decided to double down and working two hospitality jobs and buy a house during the housing crisis. I was 25 years old when I bought my house that has now turned into my dream ‘garden space’.
Long story short, I traveled around the country opening restaurants. That ended in 2017 and in 2018 I started a new career in the automotive business. That last about 5 years. One of the main things I learned was that I NEED the my job to be both mentally creative and physically active. I am a neurodivergent person with ADHD and I thrive in an environment this is both physically and mentally active.
So up to this point I had been ‘growing solo’. I knew that being at a job that was stressful, mentally exhausting without any physical release that I was going to need to find a way to keep my body busy to help keep my mind calm. We have to remember that I am brand new to growing in September 2020 so I had a ton of questions. I found an amazing community within the space of Instagram. I found so many local people that were doing the same thing as me and we connected very quickly online and we started ‘growing together’. This very quickly turned into me trying to find an in-person community. It did not exist! That was the birth of the Phoenix Seed Swap in May of 2022. Our first event was held 5 days after the Instagram page was live and 17 people showed up (some now my very best friends). Since then we have had ‘meet ups’ every 6-8 weeks, we have raise money for water/ice and collected donations for the unsheltered, we have hosted two Homemade Holiday Markets and a Spring Garden fair. We did this all while supporting our local small businesses, community gardens and non-profit organizations. At this point we are truly ‘growing together’ personally, within our community and with our small businesses.
All of the above has lead me to starting the business Garden Spaces. I want to use what I have learned through my trial and error, from my gardening support community and the Maricopa County Extension Office Master Gardener Program to help build people their Dream Garden Space.
‘Growing together’ means more to me that anyone will ever know. Love and support can go a long way in helping live a happy and healthy life.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite spots in the city are just outside of the city. I would want to bring them out to paddleboard on the Salt River. We would get up before sunrise to beat the heat and avoid the crowds. There is nothing better than cooling down on the water, watching the wild horses and trying to spot local wildlife and native plants. A nice easy hike at Butcher Jones Beach or for a bit more of a challenge we would head out to the Superstition Mountains. If i can talk them into an overnight camping trip I am heading up the Beeline Highway to Rim Road 300. There is not much better than showing someone how diverse Arizona can be within 2.5 hours of the valley.
Hitting up the Desert Botanical Gardens, Hole in the Rock and Papago Park are 100% on the list. Walking around Old Town Scottsdale is always a favorite way to find great places to eat or grab a drink.
Of course, the trip would not be complete without a sunset garden tour at my house.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Melissa Peeples a.k.a. @the_desert_smells_like_veggies on Instagram.
I wouldn’t know much without her. Not only is she a hardworking and supportive women, she is a wealth of garden knowledge and has the patience to teach and answer every question you have.
She helped found the Phoenix Seed Swap with me. She has also taught me how to grow seedlings at a large volume and run plant sales. While growing the PSS she encouraged me, she was hands on in all aspects and I could not ask for a better ‘partner in crime’.
When I first started my business she was my biggest cheerleader, bought me a congrats gift and is already a great client!
Instagram: gardenspaces_
Other: Instagram @phoenixseedswap