Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alyson Petrick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alyson, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on lately is a guide I created called How to Read Your Plants – a practical guide to observation-based plant care. It teaches people how to care for their plants by looking and observing rather than following a bunch of rigid rules.

I used to feel like I was a failing plant parent because I couldn’t keep up with all the schedules, product recommendations, complicated routines. Over time, I realized the more I just watched how my plants reacted to light, soil, watering – the better I got at caring for them. That shift felt freeing.

So I wrote How to Read Your Plants to pass that feeling on to other plant lovers – not as an expert telling them what to do, but more like a friend helping them from a “been there” perspective.

The guide is full of color, warmth, and real life tips for simple plant care. Seeing it help others connect with their plants in a more personal, relaxed way… makes it meaningful to me.

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?

I run a plant-focused brand called Petrick & the Plants, its houseplants and backyard gardening – through the lens of observational plant care. It’s a cozy little corner of the internet for folks who love plants but might feel overwhelmed by all the advice out there.

I didn’t start out in this space. I’m actually a registered nurse – which is ironic (or maybe not so ironic), because the through-lines between nursing and plants are care, observation, and helping something other than yourself.

I’ve always loved plants and my plant journey really started bringing me joy when I stopped trying to follow every rule and just started paying closer attention to the signs they were giving me.

I create content on Instagram that blends practical plant care with real-life humor, and a deep appreciation for the peace plants bring.

What sets my brand apart is the fact that it’s me, and there is only one of me! I talk about tripping over porch plants, battling fungus gnats, and how I can completely lose track of time in my garden. There’s no perfectly curated aesthetic here, just real plants and real me.

I’m most proud of how many people have messaged me and shared that my content helped them with their plants or brought them a smile. That’s the heart of Petrick & the Plants – helping people slow down, tune in, feel capable, and of course, grow beautiful, thriving plants.

If there’s one thing I’d like people to know it’s that things don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, plants included.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is getting to turn the small, ordinary moments of a life into something that connects with other people. There’s something heart warming about sharing a piece of your day, your perspective… and it giving someone else joy, confidence, a good laugh.

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

My mission is to help people care for their plants in simple ways. If someone sees my content and thinks, “Oh, I can do this,” that’s the whole point.

Choosing a creative path professionally is about more than self-expression for me. It’s a constant reminder that a life rooted in caring, being present, and focusing on what brings me joy is worth pursuing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: petrickandtheplants