A former graphic designer is now growing a blossoming garden design business, Mindful Gardens, after receiving support from Northern Ireland’s enterprise support service Go Succeed.
Gary Hegarty is the founder of Mindful Gardens in Dungiven, which designs bespoke outdoor spaces for domestic and commercial clients, with a particular specialism in sensory and wellbeing gardens.
After spending almost two decades working as a graphic designer, he decided to pursue a long-standing passion for gardening and completed a foundation degree in horticulture to equip himself with the professional knowledge needed to turn that interest into a business.
His new career received an early boost when he took part in the RTE gardening competition Super Garden, where he was tasked with creating a sensory garden for a family with a young autistic son.
Seeing first-hand the impact the finished space had on the child encouraged Gary to make sensory and wellbeing design a central part of Mindful Gardens.
He now works with homeowners, schools, community organisations and other clients to create spaces designed around their individual needs.
A sensory garden will typically incorporate all five senses – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch – through both planting and hard landscaping.
Gary added: “Every sensory garden is a wellness garden, but not every wellness garden necessarily has to be a sensory garden.
“With a sensory space, you are considering everything. It could be the sound of gravel underfoot, the sound or feel of water, plants with particular fragrances, different textures, or herbs and edible plants.
“But every client is different. Something one person finds relaxing could be distracting or uncomfortable for somebody else, so it is about really understanding who will use the space and creating an environment that works for them.”
Mindful Gardens
Gary first approached Go Succeed as he sought to develop the commercial side of the new business.
Through the service, he received one-to-one mentoring on areas including financial management, alongside attending a series of workshops covering topics such as social media and digital marketing.
More recently, mentoring also helped Gary identify and apply for rural business grant funding which enabled him to invest in professional equipment including a trailer, lawnmower, strimmer, blower and hedge cutter.
The investment has allowed Mindful Gardens to develop a maintenance service alongside its core design offering, helping Gary diversify the business and create a more consistent source of income throughout the year.
Gary added: “That funding meant I was able to invest in really good professional equipment from the outset and provide a high-quality maintenance service rather than trying to build it up bit by bit.”
Go Succeed is delivered through each of Northern Ireland’s 11 local councils.
Dawn Huggins, Mayor, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, said: “Gary’s story is a fantastic example of how someone can combine an existing professional skillset with a personal passion to create a distinctive and ambitious business.
“Mindful Gardens has identified a particularly interesting niche in the growing recognition of the role our outdoor spaces can play in our wellbeing, while Gary has also shown a real willingness to develop the commercial skills needed to turn that expertise into a sustainable enterprise.
“We look forward to seeing where Gary takes the business next.”
Go Succeed provides entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses across Northern Ireland with access to expert business support, including one-to-one mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks and help with business planning and accessing funding opportunities.
Funded by the UK Government, Go Succeed provides entrepreneurs with access to mentoring, events, grant funding, planning tools and business networks.
