Our story
Our Story
Jeminat's Garden is named in honor of my grandmother, Jeminat — the original gardener in my life.
She spent most of her life in Nigeria, where she raised her family with a quiet strength, gentle patience, and unwavering love. She loved visiting the market, where the air carried the scents of fresh herbs, fruits, flowers, and everyday life. Her favorite fragrances were lemongrass and lavender — scents that still remind me of her today.
More than anything, she poured life into the people around her. She nurtured her children with love, care, and possibility, and they carried what she planted into different corners of the world. When I look at my family, my mother, and the life we've built together, I see the garden she cultivated long before I was born.
I like to think that Jeminat's Garden is my way of tending the garden she left behind.
Later in life, my grandmother developed dementia — a journey that would unexpectedly shape the heart of this brand.
I spent several years working in dementia care. One of my favorite activities with residents was candle-making. What began as a cognitive exercise became something much more meaningful. I watched faces light up as familiar scents brought people back to memories that seemed lost to time — childhood homes, family gatherings, beloved traditions, and moments they hadn't spoken about in years.
Those experiences taught me something I would never forget: scent has a remarkable ability to reconnect us with ourselves, our stories, and the people we love.
The idea stayed with me, but it wasn't until years later, during one of the most difficult seasons of my own life, that it truly began to bloom.
During that time, I found comfort in two philosophies.
Ichigo Ichie, a concept rooted in the Japanese tea ceremony, reminds us that each breath can only be taken once. Every moment — from the mundane to the extraordinary — deserves to be met with presence, gratitude, and care.
No Mud, No Lotus reminds us that growth often emerges from adversity. Like the lotus that rises from muddy waters, beauty and transformation can emerge from life's most difficult seasons.
As I searched for meaning, peace, and a creative outlet, I found myself making candles again. It became part of how I found my way back. What began as a personal practice slowly grew into something more — I started sharing my creations at local farmers markets and discovered the same joy I had witnessed years earlier: the joy of connection, reflection, memory, and imagination.
Today, every candle is hand-poured and topped with a sculpted lotus flower. Each collection is inspired by the moments that shape us, the challenges that grow us, and the memories that stay with us.
Welcome to Jeminat's Garden.
Where memory meets imagination.
