To experience a genuine conversation is a pleasure and a privilege, especially when speaking with someone who is as knowledgeable and discerning as Ami. She intertwines insights about soil composition, textured hair and business as effortlessly as morning glory and verbena, all the while being approachable and South Bronx-born cool.
She's a legacy horticulturist, with grandparents on both sides skilled in caring for all things growing. That heritage of respecting and cherishing the earth is something that makes her even more passionate about her work; and that goes way beyond merely landscaping, there’s intentionality, an art to her purpose.
Though she’s held other jobs in years past, the desire to work in gardening was always present, and she often found herself looking for something in that field. After her tenure at Omaha Public Schools, she was able to pursue her calling full time, to the joy of countless home gardens, local nurseries and even Omaha’s floral sanctuary Lauritzen Gardens. She not only designs personal paradises, but she also collaborates and educates homeowners so they can maintain their garden’s natural beauty.
To be honest though, natural beauty is something Ami’s been about for years, especially when it comes to textured hair. I remember personally her rocking her beautiful coils, long before Chris Rock’s call to action in the movie “Good Hair”. Often stopped by friends and strangers alike, fascinated by her curl freedom and wash day routine, she again offered education through workshops and product exchanges. To be among other 3A to 4C sisters was empowering and affirming. Through her experiences in horticulture, she noticed parallels between caring for plants and caring for coils. Watering, trimming, proper nutrition and love are all important aspects in both cultures of care, and in true Polite fashion, she began to write. Enter the soulful and savvy memoir/manual/mixtape Garden My Hair, where she drops a beautifully illustrated 158-page love letter to growth; that of plants, hair and even herself. It’s a beyond worthy read, and the soundtrack paired with each chapter is simultaneously fresh and nostalgic.
The future looks bright for this nurturing entrepreneur, as she looks forward to eventually evolving into personal garden coaching and another book aimed towards helping others to become gardeners plus her experiences connecting with other creators and their plant-like personalities. I came away from our conversation enriched (as always), with reminders on keeping my business boundaries, the futility of manufactured mulch and the shared experience of satisfaction in seeing a job well done. To call Ami simply a gardener is reductive when she is exponentially more. She is a multi-faceted educator dedicated to healthy growth in all its resplendent forms.
Follow Ami on Instagram at @politegardens and @gardenmyhair and on Facebook at Polite Gardens. Find Ami’s insightful book, Garden My Hair: A Growing Mix at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/garden-my-hair and visit her website at https://www.politegardens.com/
Photos courtesy of Bailey Adams Media - Shot at Hardy Coffee (Benson)
