How it started:
As a child I loved going to the hardware store with my parents. While my dad perused power tools and my mom wandered the kitchen displays dreaming of a remodel, I patiently waited for the right moment to ask if we could go to the plant section. I would bat my little eyelashes and if I was lucky they let me get a little plant for my bedroom! 🪴 Young Kristin absolutely killed every single plant she brought home because, come on, she was like 10 years old.
Actually, I can’t use my age as an excuse because I continued buying plants well into my 20’s and as one died, I eagerly replaced it with another. The poor things didn’t last long as I unknowingly relegated them to dim corners and drowned them with water every other day. But my constant rotation of struggling greenery never deterred me from admiring and acquiring more.
…my constant rotation of struggling greenery never deterred me from admiring and acquiring more.
Fast forward a couple decades. After moving from my home state of California to Texas, I was very depressed. I started paying more attention to my plants because they were one of the few things that brought me peace during a rough time in my life. One day I realized I hadn’t killed or thrown away a plant in some time. Oh my gosh, they were actually living! And growing! 🤗
My fervor for greenery skyrocketed. I invested in better soil, started using fertilizer, and painstakingly arranged everything in front of my few windows. As I observed each plant I started to notice their growth patterns. I picked up on the subtle signs of what made them thrive (or decline). Like a pink princess leaf finally un-sticking, I felt something click into place.
Like a pink princess leaf finally un-sticking, I felt something click into place.
How it’s going:
A few years later I moved back to California (with all my plants) and rekindled a relationship with my now boyfriend. During the pandemic I moved in with him and he was delighted at the foliage I adorned his house with. I started an Instagram account to show off my green beauties and discovered there were SO MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME!
I blame my current house plant count (103 at the time of writing this) on Instagram and the wonderful plant addicts who share all their plants for the world to admire.
My favorite type of plants are Philodendrons and Hoyas. So that’s me with my current favorites, the Philo Paraiso Verde and Hoya Polyneura. Keep in mind, my favorites change as much as my underwear. That’s daily, fyi.
What’s next?
If you’re reading this then you most likely already know about my merchandise! As my green thumb got greener I wanted another outlet to express my obsession and thus my website was born. I really love playing around with graphics and creating a brand identity that maybe some day will be recognizable among the plant community. I design hats, mugs, bags, and stickers because I want to make fellow plant addicts smile and I think we should ALL proudly flaunt our obsession! If you’re reading this, I have a surprise for you! Use the code ireadyourblog for a little discount in my shop! 😉
Are you a house plant hoarder?
I want to feature you on my blog! Email me a story! Anything related to plants. How did your plant passion start? Share a funny story. Tell me about your collection. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve come across? What do plants mean to you? How have they benefited your life?
Thank you for reading my very first blog post. See you around, plant addicts!
XOXO
Kristin
Leave a Reply