We recently connected with Veronica Moore and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Veronica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
“Plant therapy is real!” This is a mantra that I say over and over again when I encounter those I casually talk about the benefits of plant therapy to while out and about or those who I serve as a facilitator for through my plant therapy workshops. My life’s mission and purpose is to help people understand the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical benefits of connecting with nature, gardening, and taking care of plants.
When I tell people about my life’s work, they are often intrigued and ask the question, “And how exactly did you get so into plants?” My answer always involves a smile as I think about my late mother and all she taught me. My mother was a master gardener, and growing up as a young child, you could always find me right by her side tending to our vegetable garden and taking care of the houseplants in our home. We had an indoor tropical oasis! Growing edible food and indoor plants became a practice that was second nature to me. Even when I strayed away from it for a little bit of time as a teenager who had other interests, I was always drawn back to nature in some way or another. You could find me observing nature and its elements a bit more closely than the average person my age. It was like I could hear Mother Nature speaking to me, giving me guidance on how to navigate life.
Through my adulthood, I found myself connecting to plants more and more, but I observed that everything I brought into my home “un-alived” itself in my care. This was quite alarming to me as someone who grew up around plants all my life. So I reflected inward to figure out what the cause of this could be. I came to the realization that I couldn’t keep the plants alive because I could barely keep myself afloat. For a significant amount of time in my young adulthood, I was emotionally unstable and experiencing bouts of depression. I wasn’t nourishing my own growth, nor did I have an intentional practice of doing so. Why would a living thing like a plant thrive in my care?
I started to do the work that was necessary for me to heal myself, and plants found me again on that journey. I began to acquire more plants in 2016 as my daughter was born, and from 2016 to 2018, my indoor jungle was starting to grow just like the one that was in the living room of my childhood home. I grew a closer relationship with plants during this time, but in 2018, my life took an unexpected turn, and I found myself in a very deep and dark place, not sure of how I would get out of it. My sister passed away unexpectedly, and while doing a well-check on her, I found her body laying limp and cold. I felt numb in that moment. I was in utter disbelief, and after a few minutes, the deep hurt and pain set in. How would I move past this moment of tragedy?
Previous to this moment, I had gone to traditional talk therapy to get me through a life transition, but with the death of my sister, I found myself putting this off for an entire year. I avoided going to therapy because I was afraid of what would come up for me in those sessions. I wasn’t ready to face the reality of what life was for me with her not being earthside. However, I finally got to the point that if I didn’t go to therapy, I am not sure I would be here today. From February 2019 to February 2020, I went to traditional talk therapy every two weeks. I started to pour myself into the plants that I had in my home during this year as a way to channel my heart and pain into something productive. In March of 2020, I celebrated with my therapist one year of successful talk therapy. I was amazed at how quick the time went.
Our last session happened to be the week after the world stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic and everything went virtual. When we logged on to Zoom, she was really surprised by my joyful demeanor and asked what I had been doing since our last in-person meeting. I shared with her that I had continued to tend to the plants in my care but also started to grow food in our backyard with my daughter. She was very happy to hear of my healthy coping practice and said to me, “It seems like plant therapy has taken the place of our sessions.” Not realizing it initially, I paused and said, “Wow, I guess you have a point.”
In that moment, I realized that during this year of time, plants restored my soul. They gave me space to heal when I didn’t know where to place the grief my heart was holding on to. It was so impactful for me that I wanted to share it with others and created the IG community Brown Skin Plant Mama to share my journey with plant therapy and encourage others to do the same. From this community that I started in April of 2020, I have been able to grow this practice into a business that is focused in the wellness space. I have done numerous workshops and presentations for hundreds of people on the topic of plant therapy with university students and staff, elementary school students, community organizations, and libraries.
I have also written a children’s book about a mother-daughter relationship with plants and building community that is an intergenerational tribute to my mother, who taught me everything I know.
The short of it is that plants saved my life. Through unfortunate grief and loss, I have found a true gift, and I will share this with the world.
Veronica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a celebrated educator, facilitator, and award-winning children’s book author with a passion for promoting social and emotional learning through plant care and nature. I integrate the therapeutic benefits of gardening into my work, offering practical workshops and programs on reducing stress and enhancing well-being.
With an upbringing that included gardening and taking care of houseplants with my mother, I know how access to nature plays a huge role in our lives. I have been able to see firsthand its effect on my own daughter and other young children in the community. Due to my daughter’s interest in plants during the pandemic, I created a program called Plant Therapy for Kids™ where we provided sponsored houseplants to over 300 students at her school so that they too could enjoy the benefits of caring for plants. Some of these students still have their plants 4 years later!
Providing free plants to community members is something that I love doing. The small gesture means a lot to the people who receive their gift, and it also keeps my mission of sharing the benefits of plants ongoing.
In addition to my educational programs, I also conduct author visits that focus on childhood literacy and the importance of representation of underrepresented voices in the literary arts. In less than one year since publishing my debut book, I have sold shy of 1000 copies and have been awarded my first literary artist award in recognition of my work. I don’t take this lightly. I am doing work to honor the Creator. I believe my ministry is unconventional in nature, but I am grateful to be a vessel to bring light and love to those I have the opportunity to encounter.
As a literary artist, I am passionate about helping my fellow authors achieve their goals in releasing their books. My publishing company, Leaf & Vine Books, provides self publishing coaching services to aspiring authors. To go along with my publishing coaching services through Leaf & Vine, I host retreat experiences called Literary Liberations™ which provide wellness-centered author events and retreats to spark creative flow in the literary space.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I’ve already shared the tragic experience of losing my sister, but in May of 2023, while writing my children’s book that was dedicated to my mother, she passed away unexpectedly. I wanted the opportunity to present her with the book in person as a surprise trip back home to Chicago. I wanted to take her on a few visits with me so that I could read the book with her sitting in the audience and others could see in the flesh the inspiration behind the story. I truly grappled with whether I would be able to follow through with publishing my book. Her loss hit me at my core. It cut deep. My mother was my Queen, and everyone who knows me understands the connection we shared. Faced with the decision to keep writing or put it up on the shelf, I was reminded of what my mother would have expected me to do. She wouldn’t have wanted to pause the process of writing because, as she always told me, “Veronica, when I leave this earth, life will go on, and I need you to keep moving and doing.” I heard her voice as I tussled with my heart and whether to move forward. In the end, I had to think about the legacy that I wanted to leave, and my daughter was watching me through every phase of this project. I wanted to show my daughter that even when you go through hard things, there is still joy in creating for yourself and others. In this moment, it became more than just a book to me. It was a way for me to heal through the grief. It was an opportunity for me to be a testimony to others of what could also be possible for them.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is curating opportunities and experiences for others to develop and lean into the discomfort, because there is no growth in the comfort zone.
I love to share my gifts with others. I have a philosophy that the work I do is ministry. It’s a way for me to connect people to their higher purpose and make meaning of the world around them. I enjoy helping others reach their full potential and accomplish things they may have otherwise thought were impossible. I consider it my superpower!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.veronicahmoore.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownskinplantmama
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brownskinplantmama
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicahmoore/
Image Credits
Kathy Frederick – Lehigh University Event June 22, 2023
Veronica Bocian – Black Children’s Book Week 2024