Plantfishing: The Bait and Switch of the Plant World

We’ve all been there. Scrolling through plant websites or social media, you spot the perfect plant—lush, vibrant, absolutely thriving. You click “buy” with visions of it instantly elevating your garden or home. But when it arrives? A tiny, sad-looking sprout in a plastic cup that barely resembles what you ordered. You, my friend, have been Plantfished. Just like catfishing, but instead of a fake profile, it's a misleadingly edited plant photo. Let’s talk about how to spot the red flags and avoid plant-buying heartbreak.

What They Don’t Tell You About Buying Plants Online

Buying plants online is like online dating—you fall for the perfect pictures, the glowing descriptions, and then… reality arrives at your doorstep. Here’s how to spot the plantfish before you swipe your credit card.

🌹 1. Colors You’ll Never See in Nature

• Nature is incredible, but it has limits—like the true blue rose that breeders have chased for 50+ years with no success.

• We can catch a spaceship returning from Mars, but we still can’t mass-produce a true blue rose?

• If a red-leafed hosta existed, it would be on the cover of every gardening magazine.

• More likely? You’re about to spend $100 on a green hosta with a really good marketing team.

  

📸 2. The Same Picture, Everywhere

• If every website selling the plant uses the exact same photo, be suspicious.

• I want to see non-professional, in-the-wild photos before I buy.

• One highly edited image tells me nothing—does it actually bloom like that, or is this the Instagram filter version of plants?

  
  

📏 3. Pot Size ≠ Plant Size

• A one-inch plant can sit in a 50-gallon pot and still be a one-inch plant.

• The nursery industry grades plants by pot size, not plant size—which makes about as much sense as grading cars by garage size.

• I want to know the plant’s actual height, not just the pot it lives in.

• The best sellers post pictures of the actual plant you’re buying.

  

🏢 4. Big Retailer, No Greenhouse

• Many of the biggest online plant sellers don’t grow a single plant—they’re just middlemen.

• Some believe in “let the growers grow and the sellers sell”, but that disconnect affects quality.

• Ever bought from a big online retailer and received two plants of the same variety in completely different sizes? That’s why.

• Buy directly from a grower when you can. One source = more consistency.

  

🌱 5. Expect Bare Root & Dormant Perennials

• Ever opened a box and found a sad, lifeless lump of roots? Welcome to buying perennials online.

• A bare-root coreopsis looks like a ball of spaghetti. You might need a manual to figure out which side goes up.

• The garden center you buy from? They got them bare root too. They just grew them out first.

• Compare prices—if bare root costs the same as a full-grown plant at your local nursery, go local.

  

📷 6. $20,000 in Photography Equipment vs. Your Backyard

• Some brands (looking at you, Proven Winners) have full-time photography teams making plants look straight out of a wedding photoshoot.

• They wait for the perfect lighting, the perfect bloom stage, the perfect angle—then click. You’re seeing the plant’s best day ever.

• It’s the gardening equivalent of a dating app profile—not a lie, but definitely curated.

• Your plant can look that good too… just maybe not this week. Or this year.

Final Thought: Don’t Get Plantfished

• Do your research.

• Manage your expectations.

• Remember, that perfect bloom was filtered, staged, and professionally lit—your backyard photoshoot might take a few seasons.

But hey, when you finally get that picture-perfect bloom? Totally worth the wait. 🌿🔥

Garden Game-Changers: Tools That Make Life Easier (and Prettier!)

Some garden tools are just nice to have, but others? Absolute must-haves. These two are the kind that make you wonder why you didn’t get them sooner.

🌿 Tree & Shrub Watering Bags: Set It and Forget It

Sure, you could stand there with a hose, but why not let these genius bags do the work for you?

✅ Slow, Deep Watering – They fill up fast but release water slowly, meaning no more blasting mulch or waiting forever for a trickle.
✅ Built-In Reminder System – Every time you see the bag, it’s a gentle “Hey, don’t forget to water!” instead of an “Oh no, I forgot again!”
✅ Vacation-Proof Your Plants – Just tell your house sitter to top them off, and your trees will stay happy.
✅ Durability Matters – The secret? The zipper. Cheap zippers = a short lifespan. Gator Bags have the best zippers, lasting years. Maybe even long enough to pass on to a friend’s new tree. I have used THOUSANDS with little to no issue

🌱 Planter Boxes That Aren’t Just Boxes

Who says a planter has to be a plain wooden square? Or a boring metal rectangle?

💡 Think Beyond the Box – Planters come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, adding instant charm to your space.
🌿 Gardening Made Easier – Less bending, better soil control, and way more design options.
🎨 Style That Stands Out – These aren’t just containers; they’re statement pieces. Your plants will love them, and so will your neighbors.

Garden smarter, not harder. 🌿✨

I’ll Leave You With a Story

The Power of Perspective: Why I Never Take a Run (or a Struggle) for Granted

One of the things I’ve always been good at is gratitude. No matter how difficult something is, I can talk myself into doing it by reminding myself:
"One day, you’ll wish you could do this again."
Or:
"Somewhere, someone wishes your problems were theirs."

That mindset has carried me through a lot—including breaking my neck in Hawaii. And by breaking my neck, I don’t mean a fracture—I tore the nerves out of my C6 vertebra. It was agony, except where it wasn’t. I couldn’t feel my left arm. At 225 pounds, for a few terrifying hours, I didn’t know if I’d ever walk again.

I recovered. But that experience changed me. I realized I had been wasting my physical abilities. I could run. I could play. And yet, I wasn’t. That realization pushed me forward. I lost 50 pounds. I ran 40+ marathons, completed two Ironmans, and at 52, broke 3 hours in a marathon.

Even yesterday, before a run, I caught myself thinking, I don’t feel like running today. But then that same voice kicked in:
"In 10-20 years, you might not be able to. You’re going to wish you could do this again. Don’t waste it."

That mindset works in business too.

When we started our company, we had bad trucks, failing greenhouses, and broken equipment. But I reminded myself: These bad things are mine. We had nothing before. Now, we had bad. And if we worked hard, we could have better.

The first time we got a new truck, I just sat in it, taking it in. But the real pride came later—watching our employees’ cars in the parking lot get nicer and nicer over the years. Maybe it takes kids, maybe just maturity, but learning to take joy in the success of others is a superpower.

Reframing your problems doesn’t mean you lack ambition. It doesn’t mean you don’t want more. It means you realize that tempering your wants gives you everything you’ve ever wanted. It means the day you get the flu and feel awful isn’t just a bad day—it’s a reminder to be grateful for all the days you felt great.

I don’t walk past a flower without noticing its beauty. Even though I’ve seen millions of them, I still stop and appreciate them. Because one day, I won’t be able to.

So if you’re going through a tough time, remember this: Tough times can break you, or they can build you. The difference is whether you realize how much you already have.

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