In the quiet of a suburban neighborhood in Holualoa, Hawaii, Erika Betty Eberhart searches for the perfect plant to add to her collection. However, this collection isn’t for her, it’s for the art piece she’s crafting for someone else. “It’s almost like my meditation. It’s when my mind actually becomes calm.” Erika’s resin works feature botanicals, and mostly what she finds locally. She particularly enjoys being able to create from the buyer’s own property because it invites people to come back outside to see where the flower was picked. Every piece that Erika crafts is different from the l ..read more

Thinking of Hawaii brings to mind tropical vibes, incredible beaches and waves, but also a diversity of vibrant plant life. It’s this setting that is the backdrop and inspiration for Fine Art Photographer Kristen Reyno.  Growing up in Hawaii has given her joy for her plant and flower subjects.  “I’ve always loved plants and the vibrant colors that they have.” Wanting to celebrate the beauty of her surroundings, Kristen doesn’t overly manipulate the plants she uses in her work. She collects flowers, fruits, and leaves from around the island and has found the plants have a mind of ..read more

“I don’t want to make things about what I already know, I want to…I want to discover what I don’t know through the act of making.”  Through the course of a year, Janelle Lynch reveals her journey in solitude as she creates her series of cyanotypes along the Atlantic Ocean.  This intimate view into Janelle’s artistic process shows us the philosophy surrounding her work. Within her photography, she strives to not only capture the shapes and textures of real plants but also create pieces that evoke a spiritual connection to nature and the beyond. Director, editor, cinematographer: Mia ..read more

As a plant grower, collector, and artist, Barry Schwartz wears many hats. His wife and he tend to several greenhouses where they tend to a collection that would make any plant lover swoon.  Barry didn’t feel like he fit in very well when he was young, so he found himself most comfortable in nature. He’s proud that he was able to create a life that his younger self would have thrived in.  “Tarzan was like this man of the jungle, and I dreamed of living in a jungle…And, I mean it was a fantasy that I kind of lived out part of my life to make it as true as it could be for me.” Being ab ..read more

Balancing work and parenting is no easy feat. Sarah Ferguson wanted to find a way to balance these two parts of her life and started considering options that would allow her to work from home. As a plant collector, she soon got inspired by people she was buying from and decided to start selling plants herself.  “I have been inspired by a woman that I bought plants off on Facebook Marketplace…I thought, you know, she can do it. I can do it.” Sarah’s family is full of green thumbs - her parents and sister are all avid gardeners. Even before starting The Houseplant Wife, Sarah had worked wi ..read more

Marta Maria grew up in Puerto Rico, always surrounded by lush tropical plants. Her father was a “plants man” and always valued taking their family out in nature as much as possible.  “My dad always, whenever we would travel to different places, he would take time and he was always teaching us about the different names of the plants.” Marta’s father planted fruit trees that flourished - except one never produced any fruit. When he passed, she would visit the fruit trees that he planted to be reminded of him, and one day she noticed something that made her stop in her tracks.  “Two we ..read more

Botanical design was only a small-scale passion project for Peter Dunbar at first. He worked on designing for a few clients here and there while he worked his other full time job, never having the time to commit fully to plants.  After his dad unexpectedly passed, Peter decided to make big changes. He quit his old job, took time off to collect himself, and then finally started up the business he had been dreaming of.  “It’s just been a blessing ever since.”  Peter didn’t want to let his grief overshadow his life. By taking the time to care for all of his plants, he maintained a ..read more

Growing up in the Netherlands helped instill Erica Des Roches with a strong love for plants that she’s carried for her entire life. From her very first job working in a plant shop, she’s always thought there was something special about taking care of plants and sharing them with others.  “When I think about plants, I think about the word ‘faith’, because when you give somebody a plant, you're giving them a living thing and you have faith that they will take care of this living thing.” Moving from the Netherlands to Florida was a huge shock for Erica - she found herself in awe of what pla ..read more

Nestled in an unassuming shopping center in Austin, Texas is a little green oasis called Plant Party. If you ask the owner, Keri why she got into the plant industry, she’d tell you it’s because she wanted to do something out of the ordinary.  “...it was nothing that I'd been taught in school. It was just something I felt like was underrated and that people would enjoy.” Keri’s grandmothers fostered two sides of her interest in plants. One of them favored more common greenery and foliage, while the other liked the rare, unusual plants.  “So [we have] a lot of common plants that sell ..read more

Nature has always been special for Aaron and Sam’s family. Despite their parents working a lot, they were able to find bonding time where they connected with each other and the environment. “Even though it was so long ago, I can still pretty much remember. It made me feel a sense of community.” Growing up in Peru really influenced their love of plants. When Aaron first moved to New Jersey, he found himself in the city missing the natural greenery. Luckily, he got to move down to Tampa and Sam and their mom joined him soon after to start building their life in the States.  “I remember bei ..read more