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Former Fashion Designer Jimmy Williams Trades Stitching For Seeding In New Career As Gardener To The Stars

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Jimmy Williams spent decades as a fashion designer before an epiphany convinced him to trade stitching for seeding.

Williams was a successful clothing designer in New York for about 30 years -- his clothing line, Jimmy Williams Stitches, was featured in all the top fashion magazines, including GQ and Mademoiselle -- when a trip to Los Angeles to get married changed his perspective.

Soon, the abundant California sunshine unearthed in him a long-dormant passion for organic gardening. (He first became interested in gardening as a kid helping his grandmother tend to her plants in South Carolina).

After tearing out his Hancock Park lawn to grow organic crops, he began doing the same for a few clients. Soon, Williams had created a new career with a roster of clients that includes many Hollywood stars.

It's a line of work he's found to be endlessly fulfilling.

"How it makes you feel when you plant a seed, watch it grow and taste the produce ... That whole process, there's nothing else like it," he said.

Jimmy and some of his plants will be at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Arizona Street Between 4th and 2nd Street on Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. this week.

You can also catch him at the farmers market in Hollywood on Ivar Street between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard on Sunday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Or you can call (323) 216-0379 to set up an appointment to visit his nursery at 1646 McCollum Place, Silver Lake 90026.

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