Exploring Life & Business with Cheryl Capaldo Traylor of Six Seasons Garden Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Capaldo Traylor.

Hi Cheryl, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always loved being outside and working with plants. I was the first neighborhood kid out the door in the morning and the last to go back inside well past when I should have—much to my parent’s chagrin. In 2000, I became a Wake County Master Gardener and shortly after started work as an estate gardener on a 61-acre private historic property with extensive gardens. After fourteen years, I left that job and wrote about gardening and nature for local magazines and even had a gardening column that I loved writing. I tended my garden in Cary, but also helped friends and neighbors with their gardens and gardening issues. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, publishing changed and some print magazines shuttered. I was at another career transition. A friend asked if I would help her friend Jodi who had just moved into a new home with a beautiful Tropical garden. Winter was coming and she didn’t know how to care for these new-to-her plants. I offered to help for free, as I usually did with friends, but Jodi said, “ No thanks. I’d rather pay someone.” Well, that seemed strange to me! So, I created a personalized 3-part plan for maintenance and helped her get caught up on garden tasks. AND I billed her for my garden knowledge and skills—what a great lesson in knowing your worth as a professional! Six months passed and one day while working in my garden, I thought: That was a lot of fun and also challenging to teach what I know about gardening. Could I make a career of this as an independent gardener and consultant? Four and a half years later, I’m doing what I love—gardening/teaching—and getting paid for it as Six Seasons Garden Consulting. It still seems too good to be true.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, my business took off quickly and without much effort on my part. I sought advice from several women friends in various horticultural professions: designers, landscape company owners, garden journalists, and independent gardeners. They were so generous with their time and knowledge. They also shared their clients. Before I had time to properly establish my business, I had a full schedule of wonderful clients. Another friend stepped in and created my business website, logo, and newsletter platform. I have a great squad of friends who keep cheering me on.

But I had and still have challenges. As a one-woman business, I have to do everything myself: the physical daily garden maintenance, research on plant problems and diseases, communicating with my clients, scheduling consultations and other work, sending out weekly and monthly invoices, keeping track of expenditures for taxes, office work, attending garden conferences and lectures, and networking with other professionals. It’s great being the boss, but it’s also a big responsibility and time commitment.

Other challenges include the heat and humidity of a North Carolina summer, ticks, mosquitoes, ants, and copperheads. I learned the copperhead lesson directly—they will strike if you put your hand in their territory! Take it from me, always wear protective gear like gloves and work boots.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is to take care of myself. Physical work is hard on my body, so if I want to enjoy doing this work for many more years (and I do!), I need to make sure I’m hydrating, scheduling breaks, not overbooking my calendar, and listening to my body. I don’t always remember, but I’m making progress.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I love what I do. Every day I get up and am excited for work. I have the honor of caring for some of our area’s most beautiful gardens. My stated mission for Six Seasons Garden Consulting is to help folks create beautiful and sustainable gardens while inspiring a sense of play, curiosity, and wonder. I just want everyone to get outside, enjoy nature, and have fun in their gardens. This is not just a job for me. I truly believe tending the earth and caring for all its inhabitants is a calling that I aspire to live up to.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
My mom’s dying words to me were, “You are adventurous.” So, yes, I’m definitely a risk taker. I’m infinitely curious and I don’t mind trying new things. I believe to be fully alive, we must stay curious and open. As Ray Bradbury said, “You’ve got to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down.” I’ve risked so much in my life (and crashed dozens of times) and built and rebuilt my wings. And yet, here I am still standing and still welcoming the next cliff. At 56 years old, I have full faith that I will discover, build, or create all that I need to survive the transitions and unavoidable falls that come with taking risks.

Pricing:

• On-site Garden Consultations $200

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sixseasonsgarden.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixseasonsgardenconsulting/
• Other: https://cherylcapaldotraylor.com