We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashleigh Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashleigh, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My love for plants goes back pretty far but after our second son was born I found joy in taking the time to really care for them. I started propagating my own and had so many that I began putting them into pretty much anything. I was quickly running out of space to put them in my home and I wanted to continue my creative outlet. That’s when my business idea started. I wanted to have a creative nursery business using unique, vintage, up-cycled and handmade items. My business name, Crazy Plant Lovee, came to be because of course Crazy Plant “Lady” was already taken. My father-in-law gave me the nickname “Lovee” when my husband and I were dating in high school so it just seemed to fit!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I provide a variety of beautiful plant arrangements using unique, vintage, up-cycled and handmade items. Each piece is of limited quantity and often one of a kind. I rarely sell plants in grow pots because I like the creativity that is involved in using unique, fun, quirky planters. I also have kits available so that others can get hands on and show their creativity. It brings me a lot of joy seeing what others create with my kits.

But I don’t just sell plants. I want to foster the love of caring for them too. I think many people want to love plants, but remember how quickly they killed the last one. That shouldn’t hold anyone back from trying again. That’s why Crazy Plant Lovee offers a plant replacement policy. If you kill the plant, send me a message, meet me at my next market with your planter and we will re-pot it together. CPL also offers care cards, special instructions, and long term plant support to help. I want to be your Go-To crazy plant lady.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here are some of my favorite places in San Antonio and surrounding areas. A few are a short road trip away but definitely worth it! Coffee- Silver Creek in Hondo, Tx. Italian Food- Luigis in Hondo, Tx. Deli and dessert- Bumdoodlers in Boerne, Tx. Shopping for gifts- Handmade on Main in Boerne, Tx. Nursery- Shades of Green in San Antonio, Tx. Selfie spot- Devine color wall at Marken Media Co. in Devine, Tx. Drinks- 1919 in San Antonio, Tx. Family Fun- Garner State park in Concan, Tx.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have had amazing luck in finding support through this adventure. My family jumped straight in and right away, I ran into a group of local female business women who really encouraged me to get started. Most of all I owe a lot of credit and recognition to my husband who has been so much help. I really couldn’t do it without him. I would also like to shoutout to Amy at From Scratch farm, founder of Handmade on Main Boerne. I joined the Handmade on Main coop in March just before the quarantine hit our area and even with that I have had great success because of Amy. She works so hard on promoting handmade and our co-op and am very lucky to have her as a small business mentor and friend.

Website: https://crazy-plant-lovee.square.site/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazy.plant.lovee/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrazyPlantLoveeSA/
Other: https://from-scratch-farm.myshopify.com/collections/crazy-plant-lovee

Image Credits
Amy Bierstedt, Ashleigh Thompson

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