We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I constantly say that I do not have a “green thumb”, and there’s a good reason for it. In 2020, I was lucky enough to purchase my first home amidst an intense and difficult market. It started with improving the spaces in my front and back yard. They were filled with ornamental plants, but I wanted to try to install native species and improve the soil quality and promote biological diversity. I learned from local communities online. Things went well, and I felt a pull toward propagating plants both indoors and outdoors. The native plants I would collect seed from and give away, but at the same time that I was working on these outdoor improvement projects, I decided that I would “just” decorate my house with a plant or two. My previous attempts to keep plants indoors resulted in their swift deaths, so my success was surprising, but exciting. The two plants quickly multiplied, and I began to learn about propagation methods. After my list of friends willing to accept my propagations diminished, I thought I might try to sell the extra plants for a few dollars online. The more I listed for sale the more I realized that there was a demand for plants that I couldn’t possibly fill even if I spent all my time propagating plants! Luckily, the local market is supportive of this, as there are several amazing small businesses that sell tropical houseplants. Inspired by the work of local house plant enthusiasts and those online, I have continually evolved my plant spaces in the past three years. Now I have greenhouses devoted to propagation, heating mats to promote root growth, and appropriate shelving for my collections. Through trial and error, I found what worked and what did not. Admittedly, this is a constant process, and I am always working to implement new ideas that might improve various aspects of plant care.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a full time library worker, I have limited time to pursue my passion working with plants. What began as a hobby during 2020 quickly became more of an obsession. Not only do I want my own plants to thrive, but I want to share them with others who appreciate them! I work on a small scale with plants that I personally own, propagate from, and sell locally in Southeast Michigan. I mix custom substrates for my plants that vary based on their needs. Most of my collection was purchased from local sellers, and many of my plants were traded for in regional social media groups. One of my favorite things is to work with local collectors, and propagate plants they are specifically looking to add to their collection for affordable prices. On social media, I share photographs of my collection with a focus on photography and visual interest. I have a background in fine arts, and approach my plant photography through the lens of this experience. Sharing information is part of my day job, and this passion extends to plants.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I would say the mission driving me to share my plants both in photographs and to physically propagate them and sell them, as cheesy as it sounds, is to share the joy I found through plants. I also want to spread the message that truly anyone can do it, really! I would have never thought that I could have a thriving collection of around 400 houseplants three years ago. Of course there were trials, I killed many plants. I found out I dislike growing several species of plants, and that is okay. The journey of learning these things was fulfilling, and I am grateful that I have stuck with it, continue to be fascinated by plants, and learn new things about them daily. Plants help me relax (though they’re not without stress), watching them grow is extremely rewarding, as is being part of the plant community.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known that trial and error would be one of the mainstays in my journey. When I first started growing plants, and I think many have this experience, I knew next to nothing. I needed information, so naturally I turned to the internet for answers each time I brought a new plant home. Searching the internet for articles on plant care leads to confusing and often contradictory information. This is because growing plants varies depending on your environment, the substrate you use, how much light they’re getting, and a myriad of other factors. Getting advice from a real person, whether through the internet or in person was much more helpful in the long run, but the only real way to learn is to try it out and see what works for YOU. My advice is to always ask for help, but remain skeptical, and always remember that someone else’s experience will never exactly match your own.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: elizard.plants

Image Credits
Elizabeth Smith