Growing plants is a fun and rewarding hobby that almost everyone can do but some people have mastered it and take pride in their love for plants. Plant moms are people who have a lot of plants and love to take care of them. At THS we have quite a few plant loves or plant moms, one of which is Alyssa Strider.

 Alyssa Strider is in the 12th grade and has been a plant mom for over five years. “I have a huge fairy garden outside and a few inside.” Strider said. 

Over the years of being a plant mom she has picked up a few tips and tricks. “Put banana peels in water, soak and water your plants with it for brighter, stronger flowers! (the potassium helps),” Strider said. She wouldn’t be a true plant mom without loving and caring for her plants, which she does very much, and this includes naming them. “I have a peace lily named Shirley we got at my granny’s funeral (that’s her name), a banana tree named Nanza, and a bathroom succulent named Toby,” Strider said. 

Another well known plant mom is Elizabeth Leavitt. Elizabeth Leavitt is in the 12th garde as well and has been a plant mom for almost four years. “I mostly plant indoor plants, but I do have a vegetable garden that I help with,” Leavitt said. 

Leavitt loves succulents, preferably cactus because “They are easy and fun to watch grow,” Leavitt said. Her best advice for anyone who wants to do well with their plants is to learn the plant. “Every plant is different; so knowing what your plant likes and thrives with is very important,” Leavitt said. Leavitt’s first plant is named Ash and is still doing well today.

Madison Barker is in the 9th grade and has been a plant mom for a year and a half. She has a vegetable garden outside her house and loves to grow jalapenos. “They grow very fast and are fun to take care of,” Barker said. Her advice to anyone who has a vegetable garden is to keep them well protected. “We have a lot of deer at our house, so we guard them with a tall fence,” Barker said. One of her favorite plants that she has right now is a  tomato plant named Bartholomew. “I like plants because they are very pretty and it’s just a very relaxing thing to do,” Barker said. 

Rhiannon Raymond is a 10th grader and has been a plant mom for three years. She has plants indoors and outdoors with lots of herbs and pretty house plants including a Venus fly trap named Drago that was unfortunately stolen by one of her neighbors. Her secret to keeping her plants happy and healthy is having a water schedule “I have a watering schedule which helps a lot with over watering.” 

She gives another piece of advice for anyone who wants to be a future plant mom. “Before you get a plant make sure to do your research. Don’t just get a plant because you think it’s pretty, make sure you can take care of it properly first,” Raymond said. 

With the right tools and information really anyone can be a good plant mom. Being a plant mom is not always easy with ups and downs, but people shouldn’t get discouraged because they can always try again until they get it right. It is still spring which is a great time to start, so get outside and start gardening.