Green Up Your City: Meet Kaylan from Phoenix, Arizona.

AT PLANT SIT OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE CITIES GREENER, ON THE INSIDE. WE ARE ALSO PRETTY NOSEY AND LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE’S PLANT COLLECTIONS & HEAR ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY INTO PLANT PARENTHOOD, SO THIS IS WHY WE ARE TALKING TO A NEW PLANT ENTHUSIAST EVERY MONTH FOR OUR NEW #GREENUPYOURCITY FEATURE.

Meet Kaylan from Phoenix, Arizona (our first international feature!) who has, in her words, a modest 59 plants, which doesn’t include her edible garden!

What is your favourite thing about owning plants?

I deeply crave nature in my life. Plants make me feel so connected to Mother Nature and my truest self. They encourage me to be more present, grateful, and intentional. 

My mental and physical health have improved so much since beginning my plant parent journey! I love being outside, so plants are really the best way for me to feel at home within indoor spaces as well! 

Best of all, plants have brought me closer to some of my deepest passions and desires. It was my love of nature that inspired me to found a business with a mission of helping others reconnect with the earth. Somehow plants continued to push me towards my love of writing and videography, with the founding of my plant blog and YouTube channel. I truly wouldn’t be lovin’ the life I lead today if it wasn’t for plants! 

Why did you start collecting plants in the first place?

Most of all, I really wanted to learn a skill that was interactive and close to nature. It just feels so right to nurture growth and play in the dirt! I love that my own growth and skill as a caretaker of nature is reflected in my surroundings. It’s like art with foliage and terra cotta rather than a pen and paper - truly the perfect outlet for both my curious scientist brain and creative flower child heart. 

It was love at first sight when I started working at a local plant nursery when I was 17. I had a natural knack for remembering plant names and care guides, but was truly inspired by the feeling of ease it all brought within. It was incredibly rewarding to nurture each plant just right, and be rewarded with green growth or delicate blooms. 

As I first ventured into adult life, I had a variety of living spaces. From dorms to apartments, plants were the perfect way for me to make a space my own! At first, I simply wanted some fun little friends and the aesthetic green feel they lent a space, but I soon became entranced with the feel they provided. They manage to make a space feel so much more alive, clean, happy, and healthy.

What is your best/favourite plant tip?

I always tell clients to just say “hey!” every other day as the ultimate means of growing ones plant intuition. Through observation and awareness, we can become more in tune with our plant’s needs! Not to mention, this practice makes it much harder for a problem to sneak up on you and grow out of control before you even notice - which can easily happen once your plant collection grows into a full jungle! 

You’ll begin to develop an intuitive mental routine for your plant care. Mental reminders that arise as you stroll amidst your plants with your favorite beverage in hand. 

On that note, this is also a great excuse to ground with plants and incorporate little moments of presence into your day! If you spend so much time looking after your plants, it would only make sense to reap their benefits and take them in.

What is the next plant you have your eye on?

I’m always on the lookout to experiment with plants that I’ve never grown before, especially those with lots of fun varieties and colors. I also love to snag fun new varieties while they’re wee little babies, so that I can have the pleasure of watching their growth to maturity! All this considered, I’d love to get my hands on a baby Alocasia. I’m a pushover for those bold plants with starkly colored foliage, so this is one that needs to join my collection soon!

We loved chatting to Kaylan all about why plants are important to her lifestyle. You can find her at @groandgo on Instagram if you want to keep up to date with her plant gang, plus her plant wisdom & insights.

Want to get involved in #greenupyourcity in the future? Get in touch with us & you could be featured next 🌿