OUR FOUNDER

"I was born and raised in San Francisco in the 1980s in Visitacion Valley. My paternal relatives immigrated from Southern China by way of Hong Kong and my maternal relatives arrived from Burma (Myanmar).

Over the span of two decades, my mother owned several notable restaurants in San Francisco including Tumbleweed Cafe, Port Deli, Cybelle's Pizza, and Tart to Tart. At 8-years-old, I was eager to help out with wiping down menus, setting and bussing the tables. My experience in my mother's restaurants allowed me to connect with other locals and tourists, and I truly fell in love with my community.

​

At 17-years-old, I decided to come out to my parents. They didn't know how to support a gay child and unfortunately kicked me out. It took over two years to reconcile, but I learned to be independent early on.

​

In college, I majored in African Studies and worked in refugee resettlement after I graduated. My interests later brought me to law school in Hawai`i, where I focused on social justice, LGBT civil rights, and immersed myself in native Hawaiian politics.

​

In 2013, I used my savings to open up a brick and mortar shop in San Bruno; the first iteration of The Garden Home. I always maintained another job working in nonprofit organizations and event taught community college for a year.

​

In 2015, I set out to become a foster parent, and have since fostered three children and am blessed to have adopted my now seven-year-old daughter. I moved The Garden Home to San Francisco on March 1st, 2020, and a couple of weeks later we went into lock-down.

​

The Garden Home remains a passion (and hopefully one I can carry forward for years to come). I'm thankful to the Bay Area community (and abroad!) for the years of support. Know that your patronage goes a long way in uplifting our family and helping us all pursue our dreams.

In 2020, I'm also an aspiring children's book author.

I still have a ton of passion for all things botanical, and am always cultivating new projects to share with all of you. I hope you'll follow us on social media, sign up to get our newsletter, and continue to see all that we have in store!"

-- Adam C.