About Me

When I’m asked about how I became so smitten with plants, I usually tell a story that comes from the very beginning. It's all about a ten-year-old me, Dixie cups, volunteer plants in the yard, my brother's little red wagon, and a profit.

Being raised by entrepreneurs, my instincts told me there was a profit to be made. I lined probably fifty of those little paper cups into my younger brother’s red wagon and rolled down the street selling them door to door for ten cents each. I hope that you noticed that I was making a 100% profit – just sayin’.

That story is so firmly embedded that I had forgotten a couple of others that only fueled my passion for growing green things. So, I thought I’d recall the time when I was sixteen. I needed a summer job and my mom was working at a florist, so she put in a good word for me. I found myself working daily in a place that had air so sweet that I would literally close my eyes when I walked in so that my olfactory senses could capture every nuance of the freesias, roses, carnations, and lilies housed there.

It may seem obvious that clearly I fell in love with the flowers, thus, gardening. Not exactly. While the scent of the flowers excited my senses, it was the houseplants that captured my imagination. This particular florist had an entire greenhouse devoted to ornately displayed houseplants and terrariums that wouldn’t quit.

I couldn't believe how many different ways plants could be used not to mention the vast amount of scenes one could create with them. Each imaginative piece could literally portray a feeling in a room. This was my heaven. I focused on rearranging, dusting and otherwise perusing that glass room. And I spent my paychecks on the houseplant books sold there.

As far as writing goes; I’ve written as long as I can remember. My fourth grade teacher told me that I was born to be a writer. I believed her.

Chris

Contact Me

Chris McLaughlin
chris@thesavvyplant.com