Can you tell us a little about yourself and about your garden/collection?
There’s so much I can say about myself but I’ll keep it simple. I come from a very poor and humble upbringing. I have worked very hard for myself and those that I love, so they never have to experience what I lived through as a child.
My family came over to the United States as part of a program to help refugees of the Vietnam War back in the 80s. After getting to the states, I came to find that many families found themselves stuck in a circle of welfare assistance and unhelpful government programs, instead of the American dream that everyone had hoped for.
I was a very smart kid but got easily distracted. After finishing school, becoming a young mom, not necessarily in that order, I found that I am pretty good at analyzing data. In my professional life, I work as a Fraud Business Analyst for a major retailer and have been with them for over 20 years. In my spare time I work for plants. Literally! I work at Green Touch Nursery and being there has allowed me to learn so much more than I could have ever hoped for. In my time there, I have added to my massive cacti and succulent collection. It has become somewhat of an addiction.
How did you get into plants, and when did you start collecting?
I’ve always grown up with a garden and have been around plants all my life. My mother and father, before they passed, always had vegetable gardens no matter where we lived. As a kid I didn’t understand or appreciate it, but in 2016 I started my own vegetable garden. Like most newbies, I had a bad black thumb but eventually got the hang of it. During Covid my passion for gardening transitioned to houseplants and in 2022, I made the switch to cacti and succulents and have not looked back. Don’t get me wrong there are still houseplants that make me do a double take.
I started at Green Touch in March 2023 and since then, the collection has gotten bigger and more focused on specimens. Specimens will always have my heart.
You mentioned that you have a small patio, what are some of the limitations and challenges you have to deal with in such a small space?
The hardest part about my small garden is eyeing a large specimen that I want to bring home, and then dealing with what needs to go and how to move things around to make space for it. I make do with what I have and enjoy every bit of it.
What are some of your favorite plants to grow at the moment?
Currently, I love Copiapoas and Gymnocalycium, but lately I have grown a fondness for Thelocactus and caudex plants. However I do not limit myself to just growing and collecting these, I am an equal opportunity collector.
