Local couple and dynamic duo Cody Jackson and Jennifer Reid, of C Jackson Designs, a creative landscaping business, has launched a new nonprofit initiative called Gift A Garden.
This is a pay-it-forward program that allows C Jackson Designs to help the community by giving a family in need a hand-built raised garden bed filled with rich soil, healthy plants and the education that will empower them to grow their own food. They are using their knowledge and skill sets to build the beds, choose the plants, go onsite to install a bed in an optimal setting, fill it with soil, and plant seeds and locally grown starter plants. They will also provide a gardening plan and educational program for the recipients going forward. They plan to follow up through social media and direct contact to donors with updates of the gifted gardens and their positive effects on the families as well as photos of the gardens’ progress.
“Due to the current global situation, food scarcities are becoming more apparent to more people, but for some families this is nothing new, When asked about their motivation for this project,” Reid said. “While we are fortunate to live in a place that offers some free meals and food pantries, we wanted to take that a step further and provide people with more than a meal.
“You know the saying, ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’? That’s our sentiment.”
Through the Gift A Garden Program, Reid and Jackson are asking the community to come together and plant the seeds that will help them change a family’s trajectory through nourishment, education and self-empowerment.
To sponsor The Gift A Garden initiative for a family in need, visit cjacksondesigns.com/gift-a-garden. Donation options range from helping purchase vegetable starters to sponsoring an entire garden for one family.
To apply to be a recipient of one of the gardens, also visit cjacksondesigns.com/gift-a-garden. An application does not guarantee that you will receive a garden. Applications are open to residents of Rutherford County.
C Jackson Designs, a design/build team with a workshop located in Rockvale, Tennessee, specializes in a variety of landscaping including hardscapes, aquascapes, custom furniture and decor and outdoor structures. For more information, garden education videos, tutorials and a free warm-season crop-planting guide, visit cjacksondesigns.com.
