(Buffalo) – The seeds of success for Emere Nieves and her eco-friendly, organic land-care

company Gardeness Inc., were planted many generations ago with her grandmother and

mother. The two women influenced Eme (pronounced “Emmy”) to become a strong

eco-steward in their own backyard in order to care for and nurture Mother Earth.

“My grandmother was a ‘birder.’ She planted specific species of shrubs that naturally attract

birds to her backyard. My grandmother and mom impressed upon me the importance of how

multiple ecosystems influence one another. They loved butterflies and birds. By caring for the

earth on the ground, they had a positive impact on the environment high above,” said Nieves.

These influences to care for the environment led Nieves to a career in natural gardening and

landscaping. She managed gardens for the Buffalo Olmsted Park Conservancy and cared for

the Delaware Park Rose Garden and the famous Japanese Garden of Buffalo.

“Because we worked on highly visible gardens, many people saw my landscaping projects and

asked ‘can you do this at my home or business?’ It gave me the confidence in my ability to start

my own business. That is how ‘Gardeness Inc.’ grew organically,” said Nieves, who founded the

accredited organic land care company in 2018.

In the same way holistic health care offers an alternative to traditional medicine to heal people,

Nieves implements holistic land care practices when planting or restoring gardens. Gardeness

Inc. does not use chemically synthesized fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. There is a focus to

incorporate native plants that are found in the area where Nieves works. This is to produce

fertile soil and to benefit birds, bees, and other living things in and around the garden.

“Our work strengthens the environment and supports our fragile ecosystems. Unfortunately

many plants found in landscapes are from Japan and other parts of the world. This won’t

support native birds and bees. Moths and butterflies require specific host plants. Before they

change into insects, moths, butterflies, when in the grub or caterpillar phase, need plants unique

to that region. This is why plant selection is critical to be eco-friendly,” added Nieves.

In the Buffalo-Niagara region, dogwood, redbuds, snakebark maple, red maple, American

beech,eastern white pine, and witch hazel are some trees unique to the area. As for ferns and

flowering plants and shrubs, spicebush, common ninebark, butterflyweed, elderberry, and

cranberry viburnum are popular as well.

“What we grow and plant has an impact on the ecosystem, especially for birds and butterflies.

Bird feathers, claws, beaks, and feathers contain keratin. They depend on consuming keratin

rich caterpillars, which are hosted by native plants. A lack of native plants creates food deserts

for birds, causes a decline in their population, and disrupts the ecosystem,” added Nieves.

Just like her plants, shrubs, and trees, Gardeness Inc. is growing in part thanks to her utilizing

Facebook to promote her business and advertise services. In the same way shovels, hand

trowels, pruning shears, wheelbarrows, and rakes are important tools to the garden and

landscape, social media is a tool used by Nieves to cultivate new clients.

“Facebook is important for our business to share the great work we do being positive stewards

of our planet. Friends and customers alike share our posts on numerous groups and pages. We

have received many referrals from gardening groups on Facebook. There’s WNY Native

Gardeners, Buffalo, NY Gardens, Native Plants of WNY Collaborative, and Plants in the BUFF

are some of the active gardening groups on Facebook. It is also a great platform to create ads,

which also brings in new business,” said Nieves.

As the mother of an eleven-year-old daughter, seven-year-old son, and three-year-old girl,

Nieves plans to share her passion to protect the environment and produce eco-friendly gardens

and landscapes.

“I am forever grateful to my grandmother and mother for taking the time to teach me about the

importance of protecting the environment. There are many ways to do that, including starting an

organic landcare business,” concluded Nieves.