Privacy Policy

Effective date: July 24, 2026

Sweetgum Horticulture, Inc. ("Sweetgum Horticulture," "we," "us," or "our") provides ecological landscape design, garden care, coaching, and related horticultural services to clients throughout the Metro West Boston area, including Wellesley, Weston, Newton, Needham, Natick, Wayland, Lincoln, Dover, Sherborn, Sudbury, and Framingham. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our website at sweetgumhorticulture.com (the "Site"), how we use and share it, and the choices available to you.

By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the Site.

1. Information We Collect

a. Information You Provide to Us

We collect personal information you voluntarily submit through forms on the Site, including:

• Contact / consultation requests: first and last name, email address, mobile phone number, street address, town, and zip code, the services you're interested in (such as garden consultation, design, or garden care), how you heard about us, and any notes or comments you include.
• Career and job applications: first and last name, email address, mobile phone number, street address, town, zip code, the position you're applying for, and how you heard about us. If you apply for an Ecological Horticulturist position by emailing a cover letter and resume to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we also collect whatever personal information is contained in those materials (such as work history, education, and references).
• Correspondence: any information you provide when you email us, call us, or otherwise communicate with us directly.

b. Information Collected Automatically

Like most websites, when you visit our Site we and our service providers automatically collect certain technical information through cookies and similar technologies, including:

• IP address, browser type and version, device type, and operating system;
• pages viewed, time spent on pages, referring/exit pages, and general browsing activity on the Site;
• approximate geographic location derived from your IP address.

We use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use the Site, and we may use social media tools such as the Meta (Facebook) Pixel and similar tools from Instagram and Pinterest in connection with our social media pages and any advertising we run on those platforms. These providers may set their own cookies and collect information about your visits to our Site and other websites. See Section 5 ("Cookies and Similar Technologies") below for more detail and your choices.

2. Our Use of Google APIs and Google Sheets

Our contact and careers forms use an internal integration called Sweetgum Horticulture Sheets (built on our website's RSForm!Pro Google Sheets plugin) to automatically copy form submissions into a private Google Sheet, so our staff can review and manage inquiries and job applications in one place.

This integration is authorized under Sweetgum Horticulture's own Google account using Google's OAuth process. It requests the Google Sheets API permission Google describes as "See, edit, create, and delete all your Google Sheets spreadsheets," but its actual use of that permission is limited to writing form-submission rows into one designated spreadsheet. It does not access, read, or use any other Google Drive files, Gmail, contacts, calendar, or other Google account data, and we do not share the data obtained through this integration with any third party except as described in Section 4 ("How We Share Your Information") below. Our use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. For more detail on this integration, see our Sweetgum Horticulture Sheets page.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• respond to your inquiries and schedule consultations or services;
• evaluate and process job applications;
• operate, maintain, and improve the Site and our services;
• understand how visitors use the Site through analytics;
• communicate with you about your request, project, or application;
• maintain our business records and comply with legal obligations;
• protect the security and integrity of our Site and business.

We do not use the information collected through our Site for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Service providers who help us operate the Site and our business, such as our website hosting provider, form and email service providers, and analytics providers (for example, Google);
• Professional advisors, such as accountants or attorneys, where necessary;
• Government authorities or other third parties where required by law, to protect our rights, or in connection with a business transaction such as a merger or sale of assets.

These service providers are only permitted to use your information as needed to provide services to us.

5. Children's Garden Programs

Our children's garden programs are offered to and booked by adult clients. Our Site is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through the Site. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information through the Site, please contact us so we can remove it.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device that help websites function and collect analytics information. You can control cookies through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting them; note that some parts of the Site may not function properly if you disable cookies.

• To opt out of Google Analytics, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
• To learn about interest-based advertising and how to opt out of some third-party advertising cookies, visit the Digital Advertising Alliance's opt-out page.
• You can review Meta's (Facebook's) data policy through your Facebook account's ad preferences, and Pinterest's and Instagram's respective privacy and ad settings through those platforms.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including maintaining client and business records, complying with legal and tax obligations, and resolving disputes. Job application materials are retained for a reasonable period after a hiring decision is made, consistent with applicable law.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information submitted through the Site. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Choices and Rights

You may contact us at any time to ask us to access, correct, update, or delete the personal information you have submitted to us, or to withdraw consent to future contact. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under applicable state privacy laws (for example, certain rights available to California and other state residents). We will respond to requests as required by applicable law.

10. Links to Other Websites and Social Media

Our Site may link to our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages, or to other third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third-party sites or platforms, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal or regulatory reasons. We will post the updated Policy on this page with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

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This page is provided as general website content and does not constitute legal advice. We recommend having it reviewed by an attorney familiar with applicable privacy laws before publishing.