You're Not Hired: Landscape Our Garden!

This was not what I thought my life would turn out to be...Issue# 105

Jul 04, 2025

ifOnlyi… had gotten the sales job with my family’s company, I would never have had this story to share, nor would I have ever found the joy in becoming a real lover of garden landscaping, design, and flowers—a brand new skill to learn.

I asked my Mom if I could start working for the family business again. She knew that from the age of fifteen, I had been trained in many departments and was one of the top 5 out of 300 salespeople before leaving for Australia after Mom fired me.

Her reply was swift, “Ollie. We’ve hired a new President, so you need to interview with him. He is a former Top Executive of the Macy’s Department store, and he needs to clear it.” I replied, “Why interview with him and not our National Sales Manager?”

Her reasoning seemed weak to me back then, but it makes sense to me now, especially considering the importance of keeping business and family separate.

“Mom, I thought Dad was the President & Chairman of the Board. Why this guy?” I asked. “We’ve made changes within the company; your Dad is still Chairman. His international travels kept him out of the country so much that I needed more help. It is what it is.” Mom explained, leaving no opening for further discussion.

I met with our new President over lunch, and the two of us got on well. He learned of all that I had done and the training I had received over the years within the company, yet I could tell he was hesitant to give me an answer.

I recall his words clearly saying, “You have done so much for a 22-year-old, Ollie. I look forward to working with you. Let me go and talk with your Mother.”

Well, guess how that turned out? “Ollie, Mark decided not to hire you,” my Mom shared with me. Say what? “But I have a job for you at home.” “Really, what would this be?” I asked. “I have decided to put our home into the Better Homes and Gardens competition.”

Image created for the Author with Copyright and Provenance.

What would this entail? I wondered. “You have to redesign and landscape our outside grounds, replant or replace every flower, trim every shrub and tree. Mow the grass after you reseed, and be prepared to “WIN’ this event. Tickets will be available for purchase to tour the gardens of all the entries. There are three levels, and we are in the top category of homes. The proceeds from the ticket sales are going to a charity. Your design creation will be judged by the magazine and a half-dozen members of their team.”

“How long do I have to get this done?” I asked. “Five months,” was the reply.

Now I knew I wouldn’t be back working for the company for at least five months until after I executed her plans; there was no help, I was told.

Needless to say, I was consumed by anger, and this request even further strained our once-close relationship. I had no way of earning money to move out and no car. If I wanted a bed and meals paid for, this job had to be done well, she shared.

Mom made it easy in only one way. She set up a charge account at a nearby nursery, five miles away, for me to purchase everything she believed I needed. I shouldn’t have any excuses. Bike there, select the items you need, and they will be delivered to you.

Now, would I have to learn a new skill and become a Botanist? We lived on 3/4 of an acre, over half of which needed to be incorporated into the landscaping designed for the competition. Where do I start? That’s all I could think, and I felt overwhelmed.

Well, I had to look on the bright side: a full-time job in the sun, which I could mentally juggle in my mind, as well as doing my work at the Police station and Bicycling to see my little sister.

If I wasn’t cultivating the soil, I always had a hose in my hand to water the reseeded lawns, my favorite part. It allowed me to recall memories of my time in Sydney, and I began to miss Australia deeply. I continued to call my best friend, Peter, to see if he could find a bar lounge for Dad to buy so I could go back and get into what I loved: serving others. That never happened, either from excuses that he didn’t believe me or that he was just too busy with his own life.

I had a chance meeting with one of my eldest sister’s friends, Heidi, who came over one day with her friend Monica, looking for my sister. OMG, who is that girl? She was beautiful, I was drenched in sweat, and I discovered that she was single. I suggested she come over any day as I would be here working, and soon we became a couple.

Monica was someone I think I fell in love with; no, in fact, I did fall in love with her in time. She had a cute red Honda Civic that we drove around in, as my license was still suspended for those six months. We spent most days together when she wasn’t working, in the cosmetics department of a department store. And became extremely close. I would be working outside, and she would be by my side as my motivation.

The amount of work that had to be done was no less than 10 hours per day when I wasn’t at the police station. I was working 7 days a week. My life was not what I had expected it to be, but I was coping. The grounds were looking impressive, and the completion date was drawing near.

One day, I needed to get some exotic flowers, but the local nursery didn't have them in stock. My Mom suggested that I go to Brentwood, and they would have them there. I wasn’t going to bike the 40 miles one way, so Monica drove me.

I got back home with my additional flowers “and then some” to add to the grounds. The excitement of adding more color and designs was what I enjoyed the most. Fertilizing and watering the flowers was relaxing and kept my mind engaged; it does wonders if you're focused on staying sober, which I had done.

Now, I’m spending most of my time cultivating the dirt around each flower, cutting off anything that looks weak or too wet, ensuring they look perfect, and I'm getting ready for the big, big day—the selection of the winner in our category.

I must admit that the grounds looked amazing. I made the last cut early in the morning before people came by to view and judge. I had the tarmac washed the previous day, and I felt confident no one would beat my creation. After all, I had so many compliments while it was progressing I knew I had this in the bag.

On the day we opened the gates, I went around and looked at all the others in our category. I had convinced myself that I would win this as I arrived at the homes to walk through.

The moment I stepped on the last property, my heart sank. It was over and done with. This family had it all: every flower I could have dreamed of, more species than I have ever seen in any major flower store.

As I walked their property, my head fell low. I knew I had lost with ponds of carp and the abundance of flowers throughout their estate. It was a magnificent display of knowledge, showcasing the best landscape design around. It took me 40 minutes to view all their gardens, with the beautiful hanging flowers everywhere and the ground displays.

They won 1st prize 🏆, and it was well deserved. When I read an article, I discovered that the family owned a large chain of flower shops and grew their own flowers and exotic plants at home.

They had a dozen people to care for the flowers daily, and the staff would also transport the potted plants and flowers to display in their stores. They owned a chain called “Conroy Flowers,” where I often bought flowers for gifts and dates. I would no longer shop there. Bah humbug.

Our home and garden were awarded second place, with special mentions (I can’t recall what those were); I was too upset to retain those mentions at the time. Everyone was very pleased with my success. They said it was admirable for a young amateur to have created such a magnificent design.

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You're Not Hired: Landscape Our Garden!

This was not what I thought my life would turn out to be...Issue# 105

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