I am prairie-raised and inspired by that landscape. As a child I always loved gardening and have vivid memories of gardening with my mother. I began making floral arrangements as a child. But it was a friendship with Helmi that brought me to Helmi’s Gardens.

I have been part of Helmi’s Gardens since its inception and I have had the privilege of managing and displaying/staging the store.  I came to the garden center industry from an artistic standpoint and a belief that we can offer a one-of-a kind shopping experience. I have also enjoyed meeting and serving the best customers in the world who have a love for all things green. I believe that we strive to provide a constantly evolving and inspiring shopping experience. 

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During my free time I love spending time at the farm, finding hidden treasures at vintage shops, traveling, and enjoying good food and wine as well as my family.
 

I started working in a greenhouse before I was legally old enough to work. I’d drive five miles down gravel roads in the farm truck to scrub flats and pinch petunias after school. In the summer, I’d plant my own garden and help at the greenhouse by weeding the vegetable beds, and potting up and growing mums for the fall season.

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For me, there’s something about being barefoot in shorts in a humid greenhouse when it’s 88 degrees that still gets me excited about spring transplanting. During those days, I realized that I’m drawn to all types of tropical plants. 

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While in high school, my dad built me a greenhouse, which is still there today, and I started growing my own bedding plants for sale along with my produce at the Farmer’s Market.. I did this until I graduated high school and moved to Columbia to start college at Mizzou.

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Fast forward to 2016 when I began work at Helmi’s in the garden center, and spending some of my time on the maintenance crew. I truly enjoy helping people as much as I love growing plants, and I couldn’t ask for more than to get paid to be opinionated about plants for customers! In 2018 I graduated from the University of Missouri with a BS in Horticulture, and am now Garden Center Manager in plant production, service and sales.

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My favorite plants are White Bird of Paradise, Monsteras, Alocasias, Aechmea blanchettiana, ixora. My hobbies include baking, traveling, hiking, being a part-time stay-at-home cat dad, and surprising my neighbors each year with the number of large specimen tropicals I plant outside each summer.
 

Graduated from Mizzou with a degree in Horticulture with an emphasis in Landscape Design. Carly has worked for her father in the lawn business for the past 12 years. She enjoys being outside and watching the complete transformation of outdoor spaces. Her special skills include cleaning up leftovers, Lynx's chair, and backing up large trucks better than a man. 

Jerymn graduated from MU with a degree in Fisheries & Wildlife. He started mowing lawns before being able to drive, and worked that into his passion of hardscapes and landscaping. A while back he was approached about joining the Helmi's Gardens Team to oversee the Landscape division. Every day he gets to put his creativity and precision to good use moving Helmi's plants around and installing walls. Jerymn is Married to Jana, and has one son Owen. 

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