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Meet the Team

  • A woman kneeling next to a wooden planter box of plants outdoors, wearing overalls, a white tank top, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gardening gloves, smiling at the camera.

    Sarah Ruzic

    FOUNDER AND CEO

    A proud “garden nerd,” Sarah started her first veggie patch in a remote village in Guatemala in 2005, and has been designing and redesigning gardens in Tennessee since 2012. After a decade of balancing her career as a high school English teacher with her passion for gardening, she founded Tennessee Kitchen Gardens to share the joy of growing your own food with her community. Whether it’s comma placement or soil composition, she’s curious about everything. Her favorite crop to grow is kabocha squash.

  • Woman with curly hair and glasses smiling, holding a tray of potted plants outdoors.

    Abi Tapia

    DESIGNER, DIRECTOR OF GARDEN OPERATIONS, AND WHATEVER ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE

    With a 25-year career in the music business, including roles as a singer-songwriter and live event producer at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Abi has been immersed in creativity. But while music was her career, gardening has always been her love language — she’s left a trail of veggie plots and flower beds at every rental house and ex-boyfriend’s yard she’s ever set foot in. Now she channels her creativity into growing all the flowers and lives for lettuce season in her East Nashville garden.

  • A woman with curly brown hair standing outdoors in a garden with green foliage and white flowers, smiling at the camera.

    Melissa Beasley

    GARDEN CARE MANAGER

  • A woman with brown hair smiling outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a tan jacket, standing in front of a house with gray siding and a tree with no leaves.

    Emily Hardesty

    LEAD GARDENER

  • A smiling man with a beard and a beige cap outdoors near a house with blue siding and a tree.

    Justin Hiltner

    LEAD GARDENER

  • Leia Buchanan

    GARDENER

    Nashville native, boy mom, and certified green enthusiast. A proud member of the 'just one more chapter' book club and a hopeless overachiever who struggles to sit still—unless there’s dirt to dig or new sprouts to admire.

  • A woman smiling outdoors in front of a house with gray siding and a bush. She wears a camouflage cap, a dark jacket, and has a braid over her shoulder.

    Kayla Younglove

    SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER and GARDENER

  • A woman smiling in a garden, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, gardening gloves, and a T-shirt that says "Tennessee Kitchen Garden." She is holding gardening shears, surrounded by colorful flowers and plants.

    Kate Lougee

    LEAD GARDENER

  • Lizzie Wright

    GARDENER

  • Leigh Lowry

    SALES COORDINATOR and GARDENER

  • Krissy Jinkerson

    GARDENER

  • Maya de Vitry

    GARDENER

  • Hannah Delynn

    GARDENER

Join the Team

We are always seeking passionate plant people to join our crew of garden nerds. Current available positions are listed below.

  • Job Type: Seasonal, On-call

    Location: Various Residences (Primarily working in raised bed vegetable gardens)

    Shift Length: 3-7 hours per shift, 2-4 days per month

    Job Description:

    We are seeking a dedicated and reliable Garden Maintenance Specialist to join our team on a seasonal (March-November), on-call basis. The ideal candidate will have a passion for gardening, particularly in the care and maintenance of raised-bed vegetable gardens. This position involves working at various residential locations, ensuring the health and productivity of vegetable gardens through regular maintenance tasks. Work is directed and executed with a larger team. 


    Key Responsibilities:

    - Perform routine garden maintenance tasks including weeding, watering, pruning, and harvesting.

    - Monitor the health of plants, identify pests and diseases, and apply organic pest control methods as needed.

    - Prepare soil for planting by adding compost, fertilizers, and other amendments.

    - Plant seeds, seedlings, and transplants following specific garden plans and layouts.

    - Maintain garden tools and equipment, ensuring they are clean and in good working condition.

    - Follow all safety guidelines and procedures to ensure a safe working environment.

    Qualifications:

    - Prior experience in gardening, horticulture, or a related field is preferred.

    - Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

    - Excellent communication and customer service skills.

    - Ability to manage time effectively to complete tasks within scheduled timeframes.

    - Flexibility to work the seasonal schedule, including occasional weekends or early mornings, depending on client needs and weather delays.

    Requirements:

    - Ability to perform physical tasks, including lifting up to 30 pounds, bending, kneeling, and working outdoors in various weather conditions.

    - Familiarity with basic gardening techniques, including planting, weeding, pruning, and mulching.

    - Reliable transportation to travel to various residential locations.


    If you have a green thumb and enjoy working outdoors, we encourage you to apply.

    To Apply:

    Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your gardening experience, interest, and availability to abi@tennesseekitchengardens.com