When asked where I live, I always say, “In the garden.” I am part of it. I don’t exist separately from the garden and haven’t spent a single day day not surrounded by flowers or plants. I don’t know how to live any other way, nor can I imagine a different version of myself. If the plants are thriving, if the garden is watered and cared for, I feel at peace. When the plants worry, when they suffer, I feel the same. For me, being a gardener is not just a profession; it is a way of life. In winter, I feel lonely and restless, but in spring, I come alive again, full of joy and energy.

Plants are the heart and soul of the garden. They communicate with us, dictating their needs: “I am cold now, time to water me,” or “I’m getting too much sun, move me…and then put me back.” If you’re not ready to listen and serve, you won’t become a gardener, and without that care, there will be no garden. Plants are incredibly sensitive and always repay our kindness with their own vitality.

For over twenty years, these principles have been the foundation of Gardenia Shevardnadze. We take great pride in continuing the work of our esteemed ancestor, Mikheil Mamulashvili, always remembering that a garden is a living emotion. It is the gardener’s duty to pass that emotion on to others, to share the experience of nature. A garden is shaped by human hands, yet it serves humans, constantly reminding us that we have lost paradise. Building a garden is our way of trying to reclaim it.