Women-Owned and Operated
We are a locally and woman owned landscape company serving southwest VA and beyond since 2014.
Sydney Darden and Allison Bowden
Co-owners of Juneberry Gardens
We believe deeply in the important role that a well-envisioned landscape plays in individual fulfillment, community health and resilience, economics, and local ecology. Our mission is to provide educated resources to promote the successful proliferation of wholistically rewarding green spaces.
Locally & women-owned with degrees in both Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture, our expertise has provided the New River Valley of SW Virginia with stunning native & ecological based landscapes since 2014. With our well-rounded insight & industry experience we are a professional resource for fellow green industry members, commercial developers, local government planners, homeowners and HOA’s and are a growing source locally & regionally for our value-added green services.
Sydney Darden started what is now Juneberry Gardens in 2014 wanting share her passion and talents in the green industry by providing ecological gardening services to others. With 10+ years in business and hundreds of gardens planted, Sydney loves working with clients to create beautiful low-input/high yield green spaces that spark joy, inspiration, and curiosity.
Growing up in a forested yard in the outskirts of Blacksburg, Virginia, Sydney discovered her sense of curiosity and deep connection with natural world early on. Inspired by this natural beauty Sydney developed a gift for art and creative expression. Her interest in ecological land use began while studying abroad in high school and observing the ancient regenerative practices of Himalayan terrace farming. Inspired by this experience and her love for working outdoors, she went on to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College. It was here she was able to connect her passions for art, beauty, ecology, food production and nature in her studies and while working on the innovative college landscaping crew. She managed the campus Permaculture garden empowering fellow students to grow their own food, medicine, and flowers in a low-maintenance/high yield system.
Following graduation she received her Permaculture Design Certificate from Shenandoah Permaculture Institute in 2012. She then went on to mature her skills working under vegetable growers, flower farmers, and landscape designers across the country. In 2017 she met her business partner Allison Bowden and their shared visions and complementary skill sets have helped bolster and expand the business into what it is today.
Allison Bowden was born & raised in the Blue Ridge mountains. She spent her early years running through mountains and streams and playing on her family's small homestead on the mountain plateau of Floyd VA. At an early age she developed a natural eye for the aesthetically captivating aspects of nature’s flora and fauna.
Moving to downtown Blacksburg VA during childhood, Allison took advantage of her new urban environment and began mowing neighbors’ yards and raking leaves by the age of 9. She also worked for her father’s construction company painting trim and doing other odd jobs, learning about how to be a small business owner and laborer.
Allison’s interest in wild plant I.D., medicinal plants, Appalachian folklore and growing a bountiful garden, inspired more serious studies into cultivation. After a few years of working for local farms and apothecaries she decided to pursue a degree in the field she loves. Allison now holds a Bachelor in Science with a major in Horticulture from Virginia Tech University.
Initially doing landscaping on her own she quickly seized the opportunity to collaborate with Sydney Darden which proved to be a dream team. Allison has been a partner and shared visionary of Juneberry Gardens since 2017.
