About Jennymarie aka JMJ
Hi, I’m Jennymarie Jemison—a graphic designer, creative director, and garden obsessive based in Austin, Texas. I started Joy Max Jardin during a time when my body and mind needed deep healing. The act of growing things—whether in a backyard, a container, or a messy little patch of dirt—became my path to peace, purpose, and, eventually, joy.
This space is where I share what I’ve learned about growing food and flowers in any space and with whatever materials you have on hand. But Joy Max Jardin is about more than just what to plant—it's about making your garden a sanctuary. Along the way, I’ll teach you organic gardening methods, low-maintenance landscaping tricks, and how to use herbs and flowers as companion plants to support your crops (and your soul).
Back in 2020, I started the Stay Home Garden Club as a way to help people reconnect with nature and their senses during a time of collective stress and uncertainty. Gardening reminded us that we’re part of something alive, beautiful, and resilient. We still need those reminders today.
When I’m not in the garden, I’m the Creative Director at Zach Theater, where I lead design and branding across one of Austin’s most beloved cultural institutions. In 2025, the Austin Chronicle named Joy Max Jardin “Most Joyful Homegrown Seed Shop” in their Best of Austin Critics Picks—and even put me on the cover, which feels like one of the most unexpected and delightful honors of my life.
JMJ with Stella, her tripod longtime garden assistant. Photo by Christopher Shea, 2020. Stella passed in 2021. ♥︎JMJ in the Press:
“It gives you something to do that is outside of yourself and outside of your house. It also is a way to see that time is actually passing. You see a plant grow from a seed to a mature harvest and that’s real. And there’s also a sense of accomplishment in that.”
“There are so many benefits that a garden can give someone, especially someone who is isolated. In a garden, you’re never alone – I say that all the time, but it’s true – you have a habitat in your backyard that most people are not even aware of”
Anything else you'd like to know about Jennymarie? Check out the FAQ or ask a question yourself. She'd love to hear from you!
“Jemison has created more than a garden shop—Joy Max Jardin is a mood-lifting micro-universe.”
— Austin Chronicle, Best of Austin 2025
“Jemison’s Stay Home Garden Club reminded us that joy could be grown from seed, even in the hardest seasons.”
— Austin Chronicle, Best of Austin 2021
“Gardening brought her joy, and it enabled her to turn a negative situation into a positive one. By sharing that experience with others, she’s paying that positivity forward. Life may have given her lemons, but she is growing an “orchard” of other gardeners from the seeds she saved.”
Texas Gardener, September-October 2023. Jennymarie Jemison and her Joy Max Jardín.
“Jennymarie Jemison's garden is the joy of her friends, family, and thousands of Instagram followers. Luckily for those who prefer their flora to be edible, the constant gardener sells packets of her heirloom "Salad Days" seed collection – with ruby red lettuce leaf and slow bolt arugula and more – along with bull's blood beets and red-veined sorrel and, oh, see for yourself, green-thumbed citizen!”
Austin Chronicle, “Five Food Gifts to Help Smash the Patriarchy: Excellent comestibles from women-owned Austin businesses”
“Gardening has been one of my greatest joys in the almost 20 years I’ve lived in this town, and in those two decades, I learned how to do it without that much effort. It’s what I call the Joy Max Method, a fusion of no-till gardening, companion planting, and incorporation of native plants and seeds that do well in our increasingly challenging climate…”
HAPPY HEAT, April 25, 2024, “WEED, SEED, AND EEYORE'S — WHAT SPROUTS FROM OUR SOIL.”
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Follow Jennymarie @jmjgrows on Instagram & watch her stories for daily garden tips & inspiration!
