Kim Halyak is an avid gardener, garden speaker, blogger, retired teacher, and passionate place-maker. In 2015, she started the Cooper-Young Garden Club, growing from 11 to 28 members. In 2016, she founded the Cooper-Young Garden Walk, a quirky, imaginative 2 1/2-day garden extravaganza that encompasses 80+ gardens, artist studios, businesses, community gardens and much neighborhood involvement.

Her favorite quote, “You Get What You Celebrate” shows why garden walks are instant catalysts for city-wide beautification.

Kim’s mission is make Memphis and the Midsouth a Premier Garden Tourist Destination through open garden tours and special garden events. This is because Garden Tourism is the second fastest growing tourism sector behind food tourism. We have all the ingredients: beautiful, unique gardens, a long growing season, gracious garden hosts, mouth-watering cuisine, and memorable attractions to entice garden lovers from all over the US.

In her spare time, Kim enjoys speaking to garden and neighborhood groups about growing beauty in communities, traveling with her husband, visiting family, and discovering garden gems around the country.  

She is a member of: The Cooper-Young Garden Club, The Kennedy View Club, The Horticultural Society, The Herb Society, The Garden Bloggers Fling, and the Garden Communicators International.