Hi I'm Kim from Stand With Nature

Why I love to help people with their plants ... I was a plant geek that got bullied in high school

Hi, I’m Kim! They call me  “Plant Bestie.” I’ve loved plants for over 20 years, but I’ve had my share of houseplants that didn’t make it. I know first hand how frustrating this can be.

I started growing plants when I was in middle school.  I shared a room with my sister and my half of the room was filled with plants. I was a plant geek.

I grew up in a blue collar neighborhood in south San Diego. Not the "nice" part of San Diego that you might have visited or seen on TV.

I was able to transfer to a high school in a nearby wealthy beach town. It was terrifying walking in that first day. 

I was bowled over by everything.  It was way different than where I grew up.  I felt awkward and out of place, afraid of somehow giving away the fact that I clearly didn’t belong there.

When it got down to it, I didn’t have the Southern California beach "look." 

I was different. I didn’t look or dress like the other kids.  I got bullied, made fun of and told I would never make anything out of myself. 

This all inspired me get even more into houseplants. Plants were my hobby and my refuge from the bullying and ridicule I faced. My plants were something I could feel good about.

One upside in all of this was I was motivated. I worked hard to get into a good college. I went to UCSD; so I could save money living at home.

While I worked my way through college, I got more and more into plants. That's when I really got into helping people with their plants.

After I graduated, I moved out and got a small place. Then I got married.  My husband and I wanted to live in a smaller community where we could buy our own place.  So my husband and I decided to move. 

We bought a home in a small town outside of Nashville, Tennessee.  A place where I could grow plants and we can raise our family. We just love the small town community vibe.

They say follow your passion, so I did. I geeked out on plant books by  reading book after book on plants.  I started a plant group in my town. I love helping other people with their plant journey. 

One constant over the years has been seeing so many people frustrated and embarrassed when their houseplants are unhealthy and die. I’ve seen it so many times.

Now, I'm a Mom of three kids. We love living in Tennessee.

Thanks so much for visiting with us.

 

Kim