My name is Joel Gillespie and this website is about the work that I do and the services that I provide to valued customers in Columbia, SC..
***see special announcement below***
I am a native of Columbia. I grew up in the Forest Lake area and attended Satchel Ford, Crayton, Fairwold and A.C. Flora. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. My dad owned and operated a business called Gillespie Cleaners on North Trenholm Road that he built right next to my grandmother Mary Gillespie's "Norge Village" which she owned with her next door neighbor Ann Dixon.
I attended both Clemson and South Carolina and pull for both. I know...a lot of people think that that is downright wrong...
I have five daughters and eight grandkids.
When I am not gardening I like music, writing, photography, reading, live music, hiking, history, movies, genealogy, learning new technology, wasting time on Facebook and hanging out with friends and family.
When I am gardening I also like music and usually have headphones on...
I like dogs and cats and enjoy getting to know yours when I work at your place.
For twenty years I was a pastor in Greensboro, sixteen of these years with a wonderful church I had the privilege of planting with good friends in the Greensboro area.
Before that I taught physics, chemistry and physical science at Brookland-Cayce High School across the river from Columbia.
While serving as a pastor in Greensboro I was also Managing Editor of a biblical/theological journal called Faith and Practice.
When I was a kid I had the privilege of being the grandson of Mary Sue Gillespie, who, along with her husband Curtis and two of her neighbors on McGregor Drive developed one of the premier stops on the Columbia SC gardening tour. "Nanny" taught me a lot about gardening - especially pruning, rooting, and grafting. She gave me seeds from various plants that I would take home and plant at our place on Bridgewood Road. By the time I was ten or so I had my own vegetable garden and was planting more and more annuals and perennials. Just like with learning to play golf and pretty much anything else I did, I did a lot of reading on the subject. Upon my graduation from 6th grade my parents gave me a copy of Rockwell's Complete Guide to Successful Gardening, which I have to this day!
Well, I ended up majoring in biology at Clemson and South Carolina with an emphasis in botany, with some horticultural classes to boot. The field botany courses were particularly helpful as to my longer term interest in garden restoration.
When I was in college I bought my first camera, a Fujica ST 801. Oh I loved my Fujica and began a lifelong love of photography. I have now graduated to digital and enjoy carrying my Nikon D200 with me whenever I can.
You can reach me by e-mail at [email protected] and by phone at 803-767-0575.
****special announcement****
Gardening Friends,
After 14 years of gardening and running a gardening business here in Columbia, SC, and after having reached full retirement age, I decided a few months ago to go head and apply for SS and also significantly reduce my workload, more or less retiring. I say "more or less" because I am still going to need to work some going forward, mostly solo or with one helper. Anyway, I gave my employees notice in mid March that I would be rolling things way back come April 30. Most of my now former employees are continuing to do gardening work, solo or in groups.
As for me I will be offering my gardening services Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays, usually with one helper, and mostly in three hour increments. We have historically called these "2 for 3's" (two people for three hours). I hope to line up a bunch of ongoing monthly or bi weekly gardening visits along with some limited time projects.
As to what I'll be doing otherwise, well, there are the (grown up) kids, grandkids (7 now with one on the way), friends to visit, catching up on biblical and theological studies, reacquainting myself with the piano, hiking, taking in live music, taking pictures, and sleeping a little more!
I never loved the name "Gardening and Such" but I'm going to keep it and try to do a better job keeping up up this website.
I'm still decompressing but so far, man....I'm digging it.
Joel
***see special announcement below***
I am a native of Columbia. I grew up in the Forest Lake area and attended Satchel Ford, Crayton, Fairwold and A.C. Flora. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. My dad owned and operated a business called Gillespie Cleaners on North Trenholm Road that he built right next to my grandmother Mary Gillespie's "Norge Village" which she owned with her next door neighbor Ann Dixon.
I attended both Clemson and South Carolina and pull for both. I know...a lot of people think that that is downright wrong...
I have five daughters and eight grandkids.
When I am not gardening I like music, writing, photography, reading, live music, hiking, history, movies, genealogy, learning new technology, wasting time on Facebook and hanging out with friends and family.
When I am gardening I also like music and usually have headphones on...
I like dogs and cats and enjoy getting to know yours when I work at your place.
For twenty years I was a pastor in Greensboro, sixteen of these years with a wonderful church I had the privilege of planting with good friends in the Greensboro area.
Before that I taught physics, chemistry and physical science at Brookland-Cayce High School across the river from Columbia.
While serving as a pastor in Greensboro I was also Managing Editor of a biblical/theological journal called Faith and Practice.
When I was a kid I had the privilege of being the grandson of Mary Sue Gillespie, who, along with her husband Curtis and two of her neighbors on McGregor Drive developed one of the premier stops on the Columbia SC gardening tour. "Nanny" taught me a lot about gardening - especially pruning, rooting, and grafting. She gave me seeds from various plants that I would take home and plant at our place on Bridgewood Road. By the time I was ten or so I had my own vegetable garden and was planting more and more annuals and perennials. Just like with learning to play golf and pretty much anything else I did, I did a lot of reading on the subject. Upon my graduation from 6th grade my parents gave me a copy of Rockwell's Complete Guide to Successful Gardening, which I have to this day!
Well, I ended up majoring in biology at Clemson and South Carolina with an emphasis in botany, with some horticultural classes to boot. The field botany courses were particularly helpful as to my longer term interest in garden restoration.
When I was in college I bought my first camera, a Fujica ST 801. Oh I loved my Fujica and began a lifelong love of photography. I have now graduated to digital and enjoy carrying my Nikon D200 with me whenever I can.
You can reach me by e-mail at [email protected] and by phone at 803-767-0575.
****special announcement****
Gardening Friends,
After 14 years of gardening and running a gardening business here in Columbia, SC, and after having reached full retirement age, I decided a few months ago to go head and apply for SS and also significantly reduce my workload, more or less retiring. I say "more or less" because I am still going to need to work some going forward, mostly solo or with one helper. Anyway, I gave my employees notice in mid March that I would be rolling things way back come April 30. Most of my now former employees are continuing to do gardening work, solo or in groups.
As for me I will be offering my gardening services Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays, usually with one helper, and mostly in three hour increments. We have historically called these "2 for 3's" (two people for three hours). I hope to line up a bunch of ongoing monthly or bi weekly gardening visits along with some limited time projects.
As to what I'll be doing otherwise, well, there are the (grown up) kids, grandkids (7 now with one on the way), friends to visit, catching up on biblical and theological studies, reacquainting myself with the piano, hiking, taking in live music, taking pictures, and sleeping a little more!
I never loved the name "Gardening and Such" but I'm going to keep it and try to do a better job keeping up up this website.
I'm still decompressing but so far, man....I'm digging it.
Joel
