Today we’d like to introduce you to Patty Berg.
Patty, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Finding a meaningful and lasting gift was a challenge when our dear friends Cathy and Greg got married. Our group of BFFs decided to send them a pretty orange tree to be planted in the back yard of their new home in La Jolla. Knowing little about trees, it wasn’t easy to do, but we managed to select a beautiful and healthy tree and arranged to have a professional gardener deliver and plant it. The honeymooners were delighted and The Wishing Tree Company was born in Encinitas, California. We are an online gift company specializing in beautiful trees, delivered and planted. The search for a really great wedding gift was a way to see into the art of gifting. We discovered that lots of us are doing it all wrong!
Our research showed that the recipients of special gifts want to get things that are meaningful, lasting and that provide memorable experiences. The gift-givers, on the other hand, want to make deeper connections with their friends and families, their clients and employees. For life’s big moments, our trees honor the relationships like nothing else can. And the recipients totally light up!
The Wishing Tree Company set out to make giving a tree for a very special occasion as easy as sending flowers. We developed an all-inclusive gift package for Garden Trees [planted in ground] and Patio Trees [arrive in a stylish container.] We offer dozens of choices that range from dwarf fruit trees to flowering ornamentals and shade trees. When someone sends a tree from The Wishing Tree Company, we’ll deliver a fancy gift basket right away to let the giftees know what you’ve sent. Then, when they’re ready, they schedule the delivery with us. Customers can choose a particular kind of tree or let the recipients choose with our “Giftee’s Choice.”
Since 2012, we’ve helped San Diegans celebrate every imaginable milestone: anniversaries, births and birthdays, promotions, graduations, weddings, retirement, holidays and memorials for people and pets. And every year, those trees grow more beautiful. We’ve planted well over a thousand trees around the county. And our giftees with fruit trees are picking loads of fresh fruit all year – always a sweet reminder of someone’s kindness.
Over the years, we’ve supported many good causes, including Las Patronas Jewel Ball, San Dieguito Academy Foundation, Paws’itive Teams, Community Resource Center and more. I believe the best gifts are the things we might wish for ourselves but never quite get around to doing. There is truly magic in the connections that trees make between us. We see this in the people’s eyes when we deliver our gift basket with news that someone has sent them a tree. There is surprise and delight and then sometimes a few tears. And that’s how we know we’re fulfilling our mission.
The future looks amazing for us. We presently serve all of San Diego County and parts of southern Orange County but our orders come in from all over the country. As long as the giftees live in our service area, we can get a fabulous tree to them. As we grow and scale, we expect to expand to new service areas, likely LA and deeper into Orange County. It turns out that our tag line – Planting love. Growing memories – resonates with folks everywhere. Given the Big Green Wave we’re experiencing lately, with over 75% of American households into gardening and plants, our timing seems perfect.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We started the company in the depths of the last recession. We had no experience in arboriculture or in the retail sector. We had no funding and it was tricky to bootstrap. Why? Because we were creating something entirely new. There was no model to follow. Our research showed that there were no competitors doing what we proposed. Online companies would send little tiny cute trees in the mail, but these created work and stress for the recipients. Other “tree gifts” were anonymous trees planted in National Parks and such. Our business model focused on personal, lasting and easy. A real tree – 5 gallon or 15 – gallon size – delivered and planted, from Aunt Mary to Jim and Jenny.
Entrepreneurs should never expect a smooth road. We hit every bump imaginable. Never once did I think it was time to toss in the towel. That’s because when our gift tree was a great match, given to someone who would truly appreciate and enjoy the tree and give it the little bit of care it requires, the magic always happened. The joy and gratitude and love between the customer and the recipient was manifested in the gift tree. It was in the scent of apple blossoms and the juice of a perfect apricot. Or the creamy-white bloom of a magnolia blossom. The road to entrepreneurship needs better signage! You are not supposed to know it all. Above all else, find your tribe and grow your network. That’s where the wisdom is, that’s where the fun is. You don’t need to know the How but you can never forget the Why.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Wishing Tree Company story. Tell us more about the business.
The most poignant work we do is when a tree is sent as a memorial. Whether it’s for a family member or a beloved pet, planting a tree provides so much comfort. Our planters always take a few moments to learn about the passing [if the giftees want to share, of course] and to dedicate the tree to the memory of that person or pup. We recently had our first planting for a victim of the pandemic – a 91-year-old grandfather who was dearly beloved. It was a sobering moment but also our great honor to plant a beautiful fig tree in memory of Don.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
Wangari Maatthai was the first African woman to win a Nobel Prize. She founded the Green Belt Movement, which has planted over 50 million trees as a means of environmental protection and green commerce. If you think women’s rights are under siege in this country, imagine having the courage to lead in Kenya forty years ago.
Jacinda Ardern is Prime Minister of New Zealand and demonstrates leadership with empathy day after day, crisis, or not. The way forward on this planet is where women lead to equality and the patriarchy is dissolved for everyone’s benefit, especially men’s. Michelle Obama, Malala Yousefzai, Greta Thunberg – all for obvious reasons.
When I look for inspiration, I don’t look only to women but also to men who embrace their feminine energy by demonstrating compassion, empathy and nurturance. These women I admire have integrated their male energy by taking action and demonstrating courage without sacrificing the feminine principle.
Pricing:
- Patio Tree Gift Package – $165 – includes fancy gift basket, personalized Garden Art Tree Tag, card plus deliver & planting
- Garden Tree Gift Package – $215 – includes fancy gift basket, personalized Garden Art Tree Tag, card plus deliver & planting
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheWishingTreeCompany.com
- Phone: 760-753-1760
- Instagram: the_wishing_tree_company
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWishingTreeCompany/
- Twitter: @WishingTreeComp
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
