What Is Plant Pals? And Also…Why?

This one’s gonna get a teensy bit personal, but I promise it’ll make sense in the end.

PLANT PALS is the name for everything we do here. The adorable leafy lads in that header image? Those are Plant Pals—and also, they were drawn and designed by me!

This website? Also Plant Pals.

Our approach to houseplant education, plant care support, digital guides, and physical care packs filled with handmade gifts and accessories? All of those experiences are Plant Pals, right down to the roots.

It’s a lot—but it needs to be. Because at its core, I want Plant Pals to be a safe, accessible, and supportive home base for Plant People of all skill and enthusiasm levels. Whether you’re a Plant Curious beginner, a growing Plant Curator, or a nature-loving Plant Collector, I want you to feel at home in this community.

Because Plant Pals represents the thing I wish I had the most throughout my own journey into the Plant Person I am today: A single resource to help me learn and grow without having to learn on my own.

What the seed of an idea looks like

They say that nature abhors a vacuum, but that always felt a bit stuffy to me. So I’ll go with a modern take on an old classic: Life finds a way. And that’s my relationship with plants: Trying to find a way in.

I’ve loved plants and nature since I was little. I think my earliest childhood memories are of picking pansies and clovers in my backyard and snacking on any wild strawberries I could scrounge up underneath the porch. It all felt like magic. I tried to grow plants of my own when I was older, but it felt like everything I touched would eventually wither away.

Dramatic? Sure. But it’s true, and I know how much it sucks.

I looked at the magic touch the Plant People around me seemed to have, and I felt like it would always be out of my reach. Eventually, I accepted that I wasn’t cursed—I was just inexperienced. It wasn’t enough to love plants; I needed to understand them and their needs.

I started learning, and never stopped. I got my hands dirty  at plant nurseries. I managed community gardens. I worked inside environmental nonprofits focused on plant education and consulting. I’ve lost count of the hours I’ve spent researching and caring for my plants, and there are still days where I can’t find a clear and concise answer to my plant problems. I’ve watched plants wither helplessly in front of me, as I lacked the knowledge to help them.

I know that frustration, but I also know the joy and quiet pride of nurturing a sprout into its healthiest, happiest self. And it’s taken me a long time to realize that both outcomes—withering and sprouting—are part of the learning process. 

But what about people who didn’t have that lifelong mix of curiosity, privilege, and (let’s be honest) extreme passion driving them to learn everything I did? Plants are a natural part of our daily lives—literally, they’re nature. Back then, and today, it felt wrong that something so integral to feeling like a human being could be casually locked behind so many knowledge gates.

There was a hole here, and I wanted to help plant something in its place.

Why Plant Pals fills in the knowledge gap

The biggest threat of becoming an expert is that you can forget what it’s like to see the world as a beginner. The world of horticulture is full of amazing people of all knowledge levels finding ways to nurture and grow the next generation of Plant People.

I wanted to join that movement, and the goal was simple: If I knew nothing about houseplant care today, how would I want someone to teach me about it?

Plant Pals is universal—ANYONE can be a Plant Person. Period.

But it’s also very personal; my interests and passions have shaped how we create our experiences, and all of them are meant to answer very clear and direct questions people will have about their Plant Pals.

Our digital Guides are as comforting and as colorful as your favorite childhood picture book. For a more personal touch, our Plant Pals blog (as well as our mailing list and IG account) serve as a home base for any plant care questions you may have.

At the same time, our Care Packs allow you to learn about your specific species and grow a unique relationship with your own Plant Pal. They’re jam-packed with fun felt accessories and handcrafted paper goods that allow you to customize and care for your Plant Pal in whatever way suits you best.

Most importantly? I wanted to make sure that each Plant Pals experience was designed to grow alongside the person learning from it. From our guides to our care packs, all of the info and advice is portioned out for beginner, intermediate, and experienced houseplant owners. You shouldn’t have to read a whole textbook to know how to water your plant—for knowledge to be accessible, it needs to be flexible. Above all; it should be fun. I think we nailed it.

Where do we grow from here?

I’m a lifelong learner; I hope you are, too. But if Plant Pals does nothing else for you, I hope it gives more Plant Curious people a guide on how to start their own houseplant journey of knowledge and discovery.

If you want to take that next step with a Plant Pal in your corner, amazing! Our FREE GUIDE is designed to lift you out of the depths of plant shame and give you the tools to make your newest houseplant its happiest, healthiest self.

Thanks for sticking with me through this whole origin story. I’m so excited to grow together!