In honor of my sister and I's birthday week, I thought it was the perfect time to release a
podcast and blog all about the story behind Houseplant Homebody and my background! I am VERY happy to do another podcast with my twin sister, Lindsay, because she knows me better than anyone! She is also a big part of this podcast and I love to include her whenever I can!
Where I started...
Back in high school I was chatting with my Dad about what I wanted to do as a career someday. At the time I knew I loved interior design and architecture but I wished there was a career that combined them. My Dad and I were just searching online for jobs to see what came up and he came across landscape architecture! We looked into it a bit more and it sounded perfect!
How I gained plant work experience...
I applied to a job at Breezy Hill Nursery in Salem, WI because I believed learning about plants was the best way to start educating myself about landscape architecture. You have to know the plants you're using in a landscape, right? So I started working there in May of 2014 and planned to go to graduate school for landscape architecture in the southeast a couple years later.
While working the job, I learned a lot about annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees from my coworkers who had a ton of experience. I also learned so much through working directly with each plant! After a year or so I was able to help customers with plant recommendations and design small spaces for their landscape. While working at Breezy, I lived in an apartment so I couldn't bring any the perennials, shrubs, or trees home!
This is where my obsession with houseplants began. The annual/perennial buyer at Breezy gave me the responsibility of ordering all the tropicals and houseplants for the garden center! I quickly learned, through researching and taking care of them, how to work with these plants.
I worked there in the summers in-between school and eventually my manager, Cathy, told me she would be retiring in the next couple years and the manager position may be open if I was interested.
Things in my life happened that altered my future a bit, so this management position was the next perfect step for me! I worked at Breezy Hill Nursery for almost 6 years, managing the garden center for a couple of those years.
How I gained plant life experience...
While working at Breezy I was able to take some houseplants home at the end of the season or I would buy a new one every once in a while. I experimented with different houseplants in different living conditions. I ended up living in three different places, between then and now, with all different lighting situations and environments. Over time, through trial and error, I learned more and more about houseplants!
The best resources I use while trying to learn about houseplants...
If you are just looking to get a quick answer on basic plant care, I would look it up online. Keep in mind, many websites may say something slightly different. So I would check a few websites to get a good understanding of the care needs for your plant.
If you are in it for the long haul and plan on caring for houseplants for a long time, I would invest in some books. Books have accurate information and are a concrete way you know you are learning the right things. Just like websites, some books teach certain things slightly different as well. But there was a reason they were published and I find those resources very reliable.
When I am creating blogs and podcasts, not only do I use my own experience, but I also research more information online. I go through all my books that talk about the topic to ensure I cover the information in the best way possible.
Here are some books I would recommend to anyone about houseplants...
How Houseplant Homebody started...
In the spring of 2020, I decided it was time to move on from Breezy and learn from a new company. I got a job at Kohl's corporate in hopes that I would learn from a larger business. Because I left Breezy, I was worried that I wouldn't continue learning about plants so I started a podcast along with an Instagram, Facebook, Patreon, and Pinterest account!
My goal was to continue learning about plants while teaching everyone what I've learned so far! I called Lindsay first because I knew she would be a huge help with her marketing background. Lindsay was actually the one who thought of the name, Houseplant Homebody! She still continues to help me edit my blog and newsletter, along with assisting me in generating weekly content! I am SO grateful for all her help and encouragement with Houseplant Homebody!
What is the future for Houseplant Homebody...
I have many goals for the future and I'm not sure how long these goals will take or when I will be able to accomplish all of them. But when I set my mind on a goal, it will happen one way or another! Here are some of my future goals...
Release podcasts weekly instead of biweekly.
Consistently post blogs along with the plant bios.
Start a YouTube channel - videos and/or the podcast
Release Houseplant Homebody merchandise (working on this now!).
One of my end goals is to create a brick and mortar store called Houseplant Homebody with shopping and a coffee shop, smack dab, in the middle of the greenhouse!
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WANT TO LISTEN?
Go to Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and PodBean. Search for Houseplant Homebody to hear this episode and MANY more! You can also listen directly on my website under the Podcast page!
DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW!
Stay connected on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest @houseplanthomebodyllc.
COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE.
All of your engagement on my podcasts, blogs, and social media posts help other plant lovers find me too!
Get to know the people you follow: If there is someone you follow (including me) get in touch with them even if its just to introduce yourself! Speaking from experience, it MAKES MY DAY when someone messages me to just say hi, introduce themselves, tell me about their good or bad plant experience, or to tell me they found my podcast and love it! Not only do you make my day, you also help with the crazy social media algorithm! If you are DMing someone or commenting on a post, that helps out people, just like yourself, find Houseplant Homebody!
Fun Facts:
There is A LOT more to this story so if you want to hear even more details, go listen to the podcast! You can find it in the Podcast tab above!
Always written with extreme plant passion!
Love, Holly