SERENITY GARDENS 

"And Now You Know The Rest Of The Story"

Serenity Gardens / SerenityGardens.com is a privately held, family company. Founded in 1985 by Sharon J. Batchel (Chef-Owner). Established a presence on the Internet (www.SerenityGardens.com) in 1997.
The company headquarters, growing gardens and production facilities are located in Buford, Georgia (a suburb of Atlanta).
Serenity Gardens is licensed and registered in the State of Georgia. The food processing facility is rigorously inspected (quarterly) by the Georgia Department of Agriculture to assure compliance with it's and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards.

Serenity Gardens is a diverse company in that it's two product lines; Canned Goods and Whirligigs, are unrelated. The only commonality is based on the production and sales of products that adhere to "traditional" standards that do not compromise methodology, technique and quality. It has been demonstrated over it's 18+ years in business, that the "old-fashioned" way; as it relates to methodology and technique, is timeless, whether you are canning a food product or constructing a whimsical wooden garden / lawn ornament.

Chef Sharon participates in and directs all aspects of the condiments - food products consisting of over 60 items (Jelly, Jam, Preserves, Pickles, Relish, etc.). These are marketed in the form of individual items, Gift Baskets and Event Favors (Wedding, Baby, Bridal Showers, Party etc.).
Larry A. Batchel participates in and directs all aspects of the Whirligig products consisting of over 20 items (mechanical - wind driven, wooden, garden / lawn ornaments, sculptures).

   Sharon was born and raised in metro Atlanta and knows Southern condiments from the ground up, literally.  Her parents kept a 4 acre market garden and raised chickens for eggs and, of  course, volunteering the children for picking, plucking, plowing, pulling weeds, what-have-you. Making chow chow, piccalilli, chili sauce, jam, preserves, pie filling, dried fruit, and many other homemade goodies was a summer ritual.

    Sharon grew up and moved on but missed the sweet and savory delectables of childhood.  Somehow grocery store, mass-produced, overly-sugared, chemical laden products did not suit tastebuds cultured on "from scratch" food. So, she followed the obvious answer; make your own.

    Now married and interested in a home instead of  congested apartment life; Sharon and her husband, Larry, purchased six acres of hardwood forested (and a creek) property in North Gwinnett County and built a home there in 1980. Ever since then, their gardens have expanded along with the canning and that family recipe file.  The home canning blossomed and naturally became an extended-family favorite at Thanksgiving, Christmas  and other gatherings.  Friends began to ask about purchasing extras.
The rest is history, SERENITY GARDENS was born, along with, of course, a green house for seed and plant propagation, a building to house gardening machinery/equipment, a building for the food processing/production facilities and last but not least, a woodworking shop for the design and production of the "Whirligigs".

    Like all good cooks, Sharon believes, "it’s not cooking if you don’t mess with the recipe." Cooking, also, includes developing one’s own style, technique, and originality. In a quest to further her knowledge she returned to college and received her sciences degree in Culinary Arts, as well as certification in Packaged Food Processing from the University of Georgia (Athens). At this point she became "Chef Sharon". Sharon also has Master Gardener certification from the University Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.

    Chef Sharon and SERENITY GARDENS products have been editorally featured in several local, regional and national publications.
Besides print exposure, word-of-mouth advertising has acquainted many with these well-made, lower in sugar, no artificial preservative products. This is why SERENITY GARDENS and Sharon have such a following, not only in and around Georgia, but many other States as well. Visitors to the area buying the goodies at gift shops, festivals or as recipients of SERENITY GARDENS gift baskets, order regularly by Telephone, US mail and now via the Internet so as not to run out of their "from scratch" favorites.