Our 3 Step Process

Our team

Our team has extensive knowledge in the green industry – we know plants. More than that, we know all the right people and work closely with the best and biggest local growers, designers, garden centers and landscapers to ensure that our platform is optimized for you, the user.

Steve Gaklis
Steve Gaklis
Steve has been part of the green industry his entire life. He owns and operates Nursery Direct, one of the largest horticultural distribution and finance groups in the eastern US. He previously co-owned and managed multiple horticultural distribution centers (HDC’s), growing operations, retail operations, and real estate in Canada and the Northeast as part of a family business. Olympus Partners purchased family operations in 2004.
Dirt
Dirt
Dirt is our AI Assistant and a sophisticated blend of technology and horticultural expertise designed to help revolutionize garden design. With a foundation in data analysis and an eye for aesthetics, Dirt provides expert garden planning solutions by leveraging existing data and advanced algorithms to recommend the ideal plants for every garden space.
Dirt embodies our commitment at gardenUP to blending expert horticultural knowledge and innovative technology to ensure every garden project is a success.

Will Hopkins
Will Hopkins
Will Hopkins has over 20 years experience in the green industry having held different management positions at retail garden centers and as a nursery stock broker. He holds a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science with a concentration in landscape design from the University of Vermont as well as a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Gregg Corso
Gregg Corso
Gregg brings a wealth of experience to the gardenUP team, having transitioned from a decade-long career as an arborist to leadership positions in operations within the tech industry. With an eye for innovation, Gregg plays a pivotal role in integrating new technology and driving forward-thinking initiatives within the platform. His background in managing teams and overseeing product launches ensures that gardenUP remains at the forefront of the industry, continually evolving to meet the needs of its users.
Christina Wynn
Christina Wynn
Christina holds a degree in landscape architecture from U.G.A., and has experience in design, engineering, horticulture, and branding. She worked previously for Habitat for Humanity and the City of Winder as an in-house graphic designer and production artist.
Bert Aguin
Bert Aguin
Bert combines a rich background in operations and system engineering with a track record of tech innovation at industry giants like Uber. His expertise extends beyond traditional IT, encompassing operational efficiencies and strategic implementations. Bert’s multifaceted approach drives the team toward achieving technological excellence and operational mastery.

Our story

gardenUP is a story that began more than 75 years ago. Back then our grandfather, George, was a rugged, industrious entrepreneur who shipped fruit & produce directly from the farm to Boston area customers; he named his company South Fruit & Produce. Years later his son, Arthur, shipped green goods directly from the farm to New England area customers. He named his company, Gold Star Wholesale Nurseries.

Today, Steve Gaklis is the 3rd generation to deliver green goods from the farm directly to you with gardenUP, and he learned the value of quality, customer service and value from his father and grandfather. With every garden design in our catalogue of existing designs gardenUP seamlessly connects home dwellers to our local horticultural growers and our professional landscape contractors to make beautiful, functional outdoor living spaces more accessible and affordable for all.

Our vision at gardenUP is to give our customers value, beauty, form, and function in every garden we create, deliver, and install with our local and professional partners

Our Local Promise

Simply put, our local promise means—we keep it local. With a focus on regional family businesses, we have built a trusted network over 50 years of local design partners. install partners and growing partners. Our designers live in your towns; our install partners work in your neighborhood, and our growing partners grow nearby. You can trust gardenUP to keep it local and keep it in the family.