Matthew Boone Gardiner
Owner and President, Horticulturist and Landscape Designer
Matthew Boone Gardiner is the fourth-generation owner/ president of Boone Gardiner. Matthew studied Horticulture, Landscape Design and Business Management at the University of Kentucky, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant and Soil Science. He was active in UK’s Horticulture Club, touring/ studying the gardens, greenhouses and nurseries of Europe and Great Britain. Growing up around the business, he has literally been involved all his life, learning horticulture and nursery practices from his father and grandfather.
Matthew served as a board member of the original Botanica, trustee on the board of The Olmsted Parks Conservancy as well as a board member of the KY Chapter of the US Green Building Council, and the KY Squash Racquets Association. He served as a board member for The Green Convene and a trustee for River Fields. He served on the Horticulture Advisory Committees for Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and for Yew Dell Gardens and is active in many other civic organizations including the Louisville Downtown Rotary. He was a board member of the Louisville Waterfront botanical Gardens and currently serves on the board of the Little Colonel Playhouse, Parish Council for Immaculate Conception Church and The Society of Colonial Wars in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is a 2009 graduate of the Leadership Louisville Ignite Program, the 2010 Bingham Fellows Program and 2010 Leadership Oldham County Program. He was recognized in 2009 as one of Business First’s Forty Under 40. He is the Past-President of the Kentucky Horticulture Council and the Louisville Nursery Association, as well as the Past Vice-President of the Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association. He is an active member of Immaculate Conception Church and sings in the choir.
Matthew is a well published garden writer and speaker as well as WAVE-TV’s past garden expert.
A long time environmentalist, Matthew has introduced his Green Team division of Boone Gardiner, an initiative for the promotion, education and implementation of sustainable and organic landscape and gardening practices. Expanding on that further, with their Acorn Lane Farm, where connecting with the land is a way of life.
Matthew and his wife Hope have two wonderful children. Matthew’s hobbies and interests include gardening, fly and sport fishing, hunting, squash, photography, painting, playing guitar and all things outdoors.
Hope and Matt have also created their podcast, Gardening with the Gardiners, which offers horticultural, gardening and landscape advice and topics.
Hope Crain Gardiner
Vice President, Horticulturist and Landscape Designer
Carlyle Hope Crain Gardiner (Hope), is Vice-President of Boone Gardiner. Before Boone Gardiner, Hope was with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture as the Marketing Specialist for the Greenhouse and Nursery Industry. She developed and put together the Kentucky plant availability guide and helped Kentucky promote its diverse and large nursery industry. Hope was a founding member of the committee responsible for creating the original Kentucky Proud marketing campaign that the Department has implemented to raise awareness of Kentucky Agricultural Products. She also served as the state’s Organic Farm Inspector, certifying organic farms across the state and worked with the USDA to create the national standard for organic certification.
She has worked in the nursery industry since graduating Western Kentucky University studying Horticulture and Landscape Design. While in school she spent a semester abroad and studied the gardens of Great Britain at Kings College in England. Businesses where Hope received valuable green industry experience include Hillenmeyer Nursery, Landscaping and Garden Center, and Springhouse Garden Center, all located in Lexington, Kentucky.
Currently, Hope is also working for the Oldham County Cooperative Extension Office as the Horticulture Program Assistant and is responsible for training the Oldham County Master Gardeners, assisting the Green Thumbs Garden Club, and performing site visits to help Oldham County citizens with horticulture issues, soil testing and offering classes on various horticulture topics. She and her husband Matt have started a Podcast, Gardening with the Gardiners, addressing life on their farm and together discuss a variety of horticulture topics including their favorite plants, gardens, pests and garden problems.
Hope is presently a member of the Rotary club of La Grange and serving as an Assistant District Governor. She joined the club in 2012 and in 2017 served as club President. Hope previously served on The Speed Art Museum’s Board of Trustees and was the President for the pARTnership, the volunteer arm of the museum. She served on the La Grange Park Board. She is a past member of Junior League of Louisville, Farmington Historic Home Board of Regents, The Fillies, The Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association Board of Directors and The Louisville Nursery Association Board of Directors. While at the Department of Agriculture she served on the Kentucky Horticulture Council and was a founding Board member of the National Association of State Organic Programs. She has taught classes at University of Louisville’s Shelby Campus in horticulture and landscape design principles. She is a past graduate of the Phillip Morris Agricultural Leadership Program and Leadership Oldham County. Hope was honored as a Tony Cotton Woman of Distinction by the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce. She has also chaired the Historic Homes Foundation Derby Breakfast At Farmington Historic Home, Co-Chaired Junior League’s Fundraising Gala and Chance School’s Fundraiser and has served on the Speed Museum Ball Committee 2010 through 2018.
Hope her husband Matt have two wonderful children. Hope’s hobbies and interests include gardening, painting, stained glass, needlepoint and knitting, and all things outdoors.
Hope and Matt have also created their podcast, Gardening with the Gardiners, which offers horticultural, gardening and landscape advice and topics.
Crain Boone Gardiner
Crain Boone Gardiner is the fifth generation of Boone Gardiner. He is currently enrolled at the University of Kentucky, working on a Bachelor’s of Science in Plant and Soil Science and minoring in Business Management and Music.
A long time and talented Percussionist, he is in the University of Kentucky’s Percussion Studio, plays with the Wildcat Marching Band, Wildcat Pep Band, has played in the Wind Ensemble, Steel Drum Ensemble and more.
He is an active member of his fraternity Phi Kappa Tau and an avid mountain biker who loves all things outdoors.