Nestled behind Pickford’s Sundries on the bustling West Hillsborough Avenue, a once weathered and abandoned property now blooms a sanctuary of greenery and a sense of community from seeds of joy planted by Brenda and Jeimy Gil, the visionary founders of Manny’s Daughters Garden of Joy, a sister-owned and operated plant shop in Seminole Heights.
The Gil sisters’ journey began in 2001 when Jeimy, then only 19, joined her father, Manny, in weaving a life intertwined with plants. Manny, propelled not by a natural green thumb but by necessity following a failed restaurant venture that left the family destitute, initiated the business. After gaining insights from working at a local nursery, he set up shop in Seminole Heights with nothing but a handful of plants and an umbrella. What started as a leap of faith evolved into a career spanning nearly two decades—until the tumultuous year of 2020. As the winds of change swept through during the pandemic, Jeimy became adrift, unsure of her path.
Following her father’s retirement amid her divorce, came an unexpected pause—a moment to ponder her next steps. Finding herself in a similar sense of urgency her father had been in years prior, the soil under her nails and the echo of her father’s teachings called her back. While she had always perceived the life she led as her father’s dream, she yearned to bring smiles to faces and greenery into homes, yet she was disinclined to embark on this journey alone.
Enter her younger sister Brenda, with a wealth of corporate experience, seeking a new beginning amidst the chaos of her own professional upheavals. Together, they dared to dream, blessed with determination and their inherited tenacity, they embarked on a journey of growth and self-discovery.
In a nod to the ice cream truck concept, their mobile plant emporium, christened Joy, emerged as a symbol of optimism during uncertain times, catering to those confined indoors seeking solace by bringing the outdoors in with their mobile plant shop. Appearing at pop-up events and markets, they traversed neighborhoods, spreading smiles and cultivating roots beyond their wildest imaginings. However, after a year and a half, the allure of permanence became undeniable.
With their family’s help, they transformed a forgotten space into a vibrant oasis for their plant nursery. With every stroke of paint and every blossom ushered in, they breathed life into their vision.
This March was the first anniversary of their permanent location, which they named Manny’s Daughters Garden of Joy as a testament to their father’s legacy.
Though their father served as their inspiration, their beacon, these single mothers found solace in each other’s resilience and capacity for greatness within a male-dominated domain.
“We are capable of doing anything that we put our mind to,” Brenda Gil says. “We are women, but we are limitless.”
“I have three daughters,” Jeimy says, “and to be able to show them that even in the midst of my most difficult time, I was able to do this and looking at my sister who is six years younger than me, not being scared of doing it.”
From mobile ventures to now hosting workshops and gatherings at their fixed location budding with promise, Brenda and Jeimy’s story is one of resilience, the power of perseverance, and the beauty of dreams taking root. With a little bit of soil and a lot of love, each leaf and petal they offer to the community imparts a surge of what’s sought by all: joy.
Ready to go plant shopping? Check out these Tampa Bay nurseries! Or if you’d like to advertise with us, click here.
