• Design Services
• Garden/Bed maintenance

About Mary:

Have you ever wanted to quit your current job and start a business doing something you love? Mary Petres can relate. Just three years ago, Mary was the General Manager of the Annabel Leewhen the riverboat service stopped and she needed a new plan. She decided it was time to combine her passion for gardening with a new career and she opened Manchester Garden and Gift Gallery at 1212 Hull St. in the Old Manchester area.

“After moving to Richmond in 1981 and living in the Fan, I always wanted to have a garden shop and contribute to urban redevelopment” says Petres. However, after a few years of running a retail shop, Mary realized she was spending most of her time indoors and not in the garden. This spring she decided to close her retail shop and focus totally on being what she calls a “mini estate gardener” for city homes.

“I have a lot of clients who love gardening but don’t have time to do it or are physically unable. I do what they can’t so their garden is always there for them to enjoy.” explains Petres.

Specializing in residential urban gardens and landscapes, some clients hire her to do everything from design to clean-up to maintenance. Others simply want her to plant annual colored flowers, create container gardens, or refurbish shrub beds. No job is too small.

When asked what gardening trends she sees for small spaces like those in the Fan, she quickly responded that many people are using their outdoor spaces as extensions to their indoor living space, especially this time of year. The key to getting the most out your outdoor space, Mary says, is to first understand how you want to use it. Do you want a party atmosphere for entertaining? Do you want a soothing atmosphere for relaxing? Do you want something bright and cheery for everyday use? Then, consider what it will take to maintain the space in terms of time and effort.

“If you’ve figured out these things first, then choosing plants is easy,” say Petres. “We’re so surrounded with technology now that we need all the more to connect with living things. Creating outdoor spaces for others does just that. I love what I do now!”

If you’re in need of some gardening help, give Mary Petres of Manchester Garden & Gift Gallery a call at 249.4438 to see if she can help!

Article contributed by Mary Foley. Reprinted from Fanfare.