The Pitch
Whimscapes is a New Orleans-based gardening business rooted in the belief that practicing natural land care and reclaiming gardens and lawns for the wild are small steps towards environmental justice. Their holistic garden installs include native species, insect host plants, plant debris composting and recycling, rain barrels, and avoid ecologically irresponsible techniques like leaf blowers and chemical ground treatments.
Kellye Schroeder and Mariah Theobald
The Entrepreneur
Kellye Shcroeder began their professional gardening career at Hollygrove Market and Longue Vue House and Gardens, along with several private homes around the Greater New Orleans area. Before coming to gardening they worked in management, both stateside and abroad. Working at Longue Vue House and Gardens in several different capacities helped define Kellye’s fine nature based land care style: gardening in service of environmental sustainability with ecologically sound principles, neatly placing native and habitat plants into beautiful and elegant garden plans.
Mariah Theobald comes from a hodge-podged background in horticulture and education. She has worked on a large-scale monoculture farm, on an organic bed and breakfast homestead, and as an Agriculture and Environment Extension Agent for the US Peace Corps. She has been living and gardening in NOLA since 2014, developing her skills in aesthetic-focused gardening and Garden Education alongside Kellye at Longue Vue House and Gardens. She has managed education departments and designed and implemented gardens-based educational programs at both Longue Vue and at partner schools in the city. She is a licensed Landscape Horticulturist with the state of Louisiana and an occasional Pedicab driver!