John Grady Burns was born and raised right here in Natchez, but upon graduation he was invited to go to Washington DC. His departure lasted forty years, but he always knew that someday he would return. “I love being back. I always knew I would return. Didn’t know when or why or what I would do, but I knew I would be back, and I love it.” He said reassuringly.
Over that length of time away John Grady finally found out what he would do upon returning. He knew Natchez wasn’t large enough, so that’s when he figured out for him to survive back home, he will have to do retail. He has been back six years and he is loving it.
Fourteen years before he finally decided to return John Grady Burns bought a house in preparation for his return knowing that when he did, not only would he have a place to live, but the house would be close to being paid off.
Shortly after moving back to Natchez, John Grady opened a retail store called Nest which specializes in Orchids, green plants, and gift items, based around an organic feel. Just before COVID-19 he was fortunate to buy, Hal Garner because of the Bridal Registry. He felt that the Bridal Registry would fit perfectly with what he was already doing at Nest, which was floral arrangements for weddings, events and funerals which wasn’t an everyday occurrence. He thought that Hal Garner would be the perfect union as another connection to brides, so if he didn’t get the wedding flowers, he would get the bridal registry and it would be a very good union. He then moved Hal Garner to his building which is now called Hal Garner at Nest. He sold his house with plans to move in upstairs and is now working with his architect to render the front of the building and the upstairs interior.
“I am very pleased with where I’ve gone with the business especially after being in the flower industry for over 40 years and being back home.”
During his time away from Natchez he was fortunate to do flowers for Vice President, George Bush (senior) while in DC, the White House and other embassies and dignitaries. “It was quite an honor to be there and experience that.” He shared.
From there John Grady went to Memphis to work in the wholesale floral industry and then to Atlanta where he continued working in the floral industry. Eventually, while there he started to freelance doing flowers for parties and events.
When asked why he chose this career he said that his interest in floral arrangements started by shear accident. “I had no idea that’s how I would make my living.” said John Grady. “As a matter of fact, if you had told me when I was younger that that was how I would’ve made my living, I would’ve laughed you to the ground, simply because I didn’t know I could do this.” he added.
At College, John Grady was an Education major and house plants were the big rave. “I had all these house plants and let me tell you, I could grow some house plants. I was the king of growing house plants.” He boasted.
Then one day John Grady hosted a party at his house and one of the guests said to him, “You must be a Horticulture Major!” John Grady asked in confusion. “What? “Yeah, a horticulture major!” the guest replied. John Grady asked, “What the heck is that?” The guest responded, “Well you learned to grow plants so I assumed that’s your major.” John Grady asked, “I can get a degree to grow plants?” And he said “Yes!” John Grady in astonishment said, “I am going to find the Horticulture Department Monday morning.”
He did and John Grady found out that in the Horticulture, Floral Design was an elective, and he didn’t see himself doing floral arrangements, so he kept putting it off. He was eventually forced to take it and when he finished Floral Designs 1, the professor told him he might consider taking Floral Design II. He asked him, “Why?” And the professor said, “Because I think that you will enjoy it.” While walking back to his dorm Mr. Grady kept thinking why his professor would ask him such a silly question. But then he got his grades, and he saw an A+, his immediate response was that of shock and excitement. “Oh my Word, GPA Ching, Ching.” He said. Hailed in excitement and speaking to himself Grady said. “You know what? I will take Floral Design II.” So, he took Floral Designs II and halfway through that class it registered to him that this is the coolest thing in the world.
“In Floral Design 1, you learn all the basics like, shape, form, design, color and in Floral Design II, half way through the class, you are taught how to break all the rules and that’s when it hit home to me, because I love a-symmetry, and I didn’t realize that, a symmetrical spoke to my heart.” John Grady explained.
“I have traveled all over the Southeastern United States doing all sorts of weddings and events and it’s been fun.” John Grady shared. “Every event is so different and that’s what I try to achieve.” He added. He said that there was a friend that travelled with him everywhere he went, and he would always say that’s my favorite flower and one day the friend said, “You mean your favorite 5,000th flowers.” John Grady said that he was absolutely right, because every flower is his favorite flower. Like if you ask him who his favorite sibling is, he will respond. “I love them all, but for seven different reasons.”
John Grady has seven siblings and now that he is home, seven out of the eight live here in Natchez and the brother that is still away lives in Larose Louisiana, his mother’s hometown. His father is from Natchez.
John Grady is also a published writer with four coffee table books in his collections. Personally Yours – Flowers for Weddings, Parties and Events, because he tries to make each event personally about who you are. “I am a designer yes, but it’s not about me, it all about you.” He explained. It’s a book that spans over five years of parties, events, and wedding that he has done. He used some of the same props, but everything looks totally different.
The other books are Evergreen – Decorating with the Colours of the Season, Home – Celebrating Autumn & Winter and Collections , Sharing the Passion.
John Grady says his hometown (Natchez) is really unique. The people make Natchez, Natchez. He loves the fact that it has always been a very social town, there is always something going on and though people say this is a dead-end town with nothing going on, he would ask, “What rock are you hiding under? There is a balloon festival, there are music festivals, spring and fall pilgrimage, Mardi gras and Y’all means All Natchez, to name a few.”
Y’all Means All Natchez is a LBGTQ+ group of which John Grady is a founding member. The group is all about unity, acceptance and allowing people to be the best that that they can be. Their main focus is to raised funds for mental health through their Gayrage Sale in the spring, Drag Bingo, and Celebrity Weekend where celebrity drags from RuPaul’s Drag Race have made appearances like Leslie Jordan who is interested in coming back. Last year they raised over $100,000.00 in this small town for mental health and the money goes to help those who can’t afford it regardless of age, race, religion or where the patients come from. “If we can just accept each other for who we are regardless of your belief, then who are we?” John Grady asked.
John Grady shared a sad story about a very nice young man that Y’all Means All Natchez was acquainted with, whom everybody loved, and he took his life. His parents disowned him and put him out of the house because he was gay, and he couldn’t support himself. This gave the group its’ purpose as, unfortunately there are so many young people who feel that they are not accepted, appreciated and that they are different from other people. At the same time there were some nationally known people that took their lives and that’s when the group sprang into action to tackle this situation. As they started discussing their mission it dawned on them, they must own up to who they are – LBGTQ people. Second, by letting Natchez know that this is for everybody in the community and that’s where the name Y’all Means All Natchez came from. Natchez was added so when people google Y’all Means All, Natchez would pop up because they want people to visit Natchez. It was just five in the initial group when they started in 2019 and it took months of planning and trying to figure out what they were going to do and how.
Y’all Means All Natchez was able to save a young man who was homeless, on drugs and selling his body. “He tried to commit suicide and he was so perfect for us.” Mr. Grady said. The group immediately got him into one of the mental health facilities, had him tested for all sorts of diseases to make sure he had no STDs. Upon completion of the program, the young man made a video thanking Y’all Means All Natchez for putting his life back on track. Today he is gainfully employed, and he is doing great.
After reading about what the group has done in the newspaper, a local remov preacher reached out to them and asked if they could tell him how much money they had made over that weekend in October 2021, he will match it and he did. “It’s people like that that has faith in humanity that makes everything that we do worthwhile. I am proud that Natchez has been so accepting and so supportive and understand the importance of mental health and accepting people for who they are.” John Grady concluded.
John Grady loves Chocolate Peanut Butter Blizzards from DQ and finds it hard to pass that way without getting one. As far as his hobby, he said, “I live my hobby, but when I can truly relax by a body of water, whether it’s a beach or a lake, I love the warmth of the sun on my body, that is truly precious and beautiful to me.”
