Under the Radar/Karen Jackson:This weekend's Bloom 2007 gardening spectacular may be attracting garden enthusiasts and green-fingered experts from across the country, but Karen Jackson, who runs her own gardening firm, will not be among the 50,000 expected to attend the event.

"I thought about it and really I'm too busy to take four days off," she says.

Anyway, the garden extravaganza will probably not be attracting the kind of gardener whom Jackson is targeting.

"People who go to gardening shows are generally interested in gardening for themselves. They're not going to pay somebody else to do it."

Jackson's company Gardini deals with a different kind of client - the kind of apartment-dwelling customer who is willing to pay for somebody else to do the blood, sweat, toil and tears bit and make their balcony look good. Gardini was founded to create gardens for balconies specifically

"It's a one-stop shop which allows customers to buy a balcony garden on line and have it delivered to their apartment," says Jackson.

"You can order your garden while you're having your breakfast in bed with your laptop on your knee."

Apartment living has multiplied in the past 15 years and is now an integral part of Irish life, according to Jackson. Many of those living in apartments are the cash-rich, time-poor young professionals with little knowledge of the practicalities of gardening but who want their balconies to look well.

"They're generally between 25 and 45, working professionals who make their money doing what they're good at, and they're willing to pay other people to do what they are good at. On their two days off they don't want to go out and buy bags of compost and do all the hard work."

Jackson should know. The former web-designer was once one of those professionals and it was the difficulty she had kitting out the balcony on her own apartment in Milltown with the right pots, plants and garden furniture that sparked the idea for Gardini.

"The idea came from when we bought the apartment and it had an empty balcony and we were sitting inside just looking out at a blank space everyday. We just wanted to do something, but we had to go to the hardware store, buy the pots, the compost, the flowers and learn how to pot a container, which was way too small. Then we had loads of leftover compost and it created a mess and eventually the plants died because I had used the wrong compost. I just thought, wouldn't it be great if I could get somebody to come and do it all and fit it out with pre-potted containers."

Landscape gardeners were too expensive, while retailers were only interested in providing the goods separately, rather than giving advice or a personal service.

"Landscapers would charge an awful lot and I don't know any that would do it for a small two-bedroom apartment," she explains.

So rather than waiting for somebody else to fill the gap in the market, she decided to do it herself.

As an apartment dweller, she is aware of the peculiarities and problems of a balcony garden. "We have an excellent understanding of the difficulties of planters on balconies with regard to sun exposure, rainfall and - most importantly for container gardening - wind exposure," she says.

"All our plants and planters have been carefully selected to allow a container garden to flourish with relatively low maintenance on balconies and exposed areas."

A survey she conducted while studying for an MBA in UCD highlighted the huge demand for such a service and the lack of knowledge people had about small gardens. Gardini was funded through a small business loan and a grant from the local county enterprise board to set up a website.

The website and an e-newsletter are used to advertise the service.

"Most people between 25 and 45 use computers a lot, so instead of traditional advertising I use new marketing methods and it is easier and cheaper to get to people," she says.

The company has now expanded beyond its initial phase of providing plants and planters and it now supplies garden furniture, barbecues and gas heaters specially suited to balcony, terrace or yard gardens.

"Next year, I have loads of ideas for Christmas presents and wedding presents and selling into shops as a way of getting to the market in winter," she says.

"I was going to open a shop but just finding the right location was difficult and, in any case, we're doing well enough at the moment."

On The Record

Name:Karen Jackson

Age:31

Personal history:From Rathmines in Dublin, now lives in Milltown. History degree from Trinity College and MBA from UCD Smurfit School of Business. Did web design in London for a few years before moving back to Dublin.

Family:Single

Most admired person:Nelson Mandela

Inspired by:Richard Branson. He recognises other people's abilities, whereas a lot of entrepreneurs will just want their own way.

Other interests:Playing golf and cricket.