CEO, Terry Garrett
In 2003, CEO of T&L Group, Inc. Terry Garrett, received the news that his brother had been diagnosed with stage IV Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Garrett’s brother, a longtime gardener found it increasingly difficult to continue the hobby he once found so much value in. Seeing his brother lose a sense of purpose and hope, Garrett began trying to develop an alternative to traditional gardening. Over time, Garrett developed a fully wheelchair accessible elevated garden, allowing individuals to sit or stand while gardening. With this elevated garden, Garrett’s brother was able to find purpose again, working in the lush ever-changing environment that no longer required him to bend down to the ground. Able to stand while gardening, Garrett’s brother tended 35 elevated gardens and lived until 2012.
Garrett, wanting to provide others with the same purpose and hope his brother found with the help of an elevated garden, established his business in 2008, T&L Group, Inc. T&L Group, Inc. strives to elevate the gardening experience, meeting the needs of all people. T&L Group produces both stationary and mobile elevated gardens.
Over the years, T&L Group, Inc. has had the opportunity to work with a variety of publics; however, one of the most rewarding has been the educational system. Bowman Hills Seventh-day Adventist School in Cleveland, Tennessee is home to eight elevated gardens. These classroom gardens have allowed teachers to integrate gardening into their curriculum and provide their students with hands-on and non-traditional learning. Additionally, classroom gardens allow students to move around more, providing not only exercise for the body, but the mind as well, exploring the intricacies of evolution within a garden.
From 1st grade to 8th grade, students participate in gardening, each teacher using their gardens in fun and new ways. In turn, students gain an understanding of plant science and exposure to fresh vegetables, herbs, or flowers. The 7th and 8th grade classroom has started a peer mentor program with their gardens, working with the pre-k and kindergarten children. The pre-k and kindergarten students spend time with the 7th and 8th graders, both learning from the other and building bridges to fill the gaps.
T&L Group, Inc.’s primary audience has been senior living centers and nursing homes, providing elderly individuals, often struggling with mobility, with the ability to garden. The mobile elevated gardens, equipped with a water retrieval system, and metal frame mounted on hospital grade casters, allow the gardens to be wheeled to individual rooms or activity areas, providing residents who are unable to go outside, with the opportunity to garden indoors.
Today, T&L Group, Inc. is working on expanding and providing all individuals with access to gardening, not only in schools and senior centers, but in urban areas, businesses and homes as well. Through gardening, T&L Group, Inc. works to provide, purpose, joy, and a healthier tomorrow—enriching souls and the environment.