Traveling Plants

from In The Field magazine Hillsborough edition

INVASIVE APPLE SNAILS IN YOUR BACKYARD, WATERWAYS? UF/ IFAS STUDY DIVES INTO THEIR THREAT TO FLORIDA’S WETLANDS

By Libby Hopkins

When I stumbled upon Crystal Desilet’s Cactus Moon Instagram page back in 2020, I immediately became entranced by how she can creatively incorporate succulents and cacti into so many things!

Desilet is a succulent florist and a cacti and succulent specialist living in Tampa. A key influence on her botanical background was her grandmother, who is a Master Gardener herself and has always taken a keen interest in succulents. “She has an extensive collection of rare succulents, and many are older than me,” Desilet said. “Naturally, my passion for the art and science of succulent care certainly sprouts from a place of generational inspiration. It is very important for me to share my knowledge with others, and I hope by doing so, I can spark a passion for gardening in those that come to my workshops or attend my markets.”

Fast forward to 2023, Desilet runs six different markets in the Tampa Bay area and all of them have a plant component to them. “I’ve been doing these markets for almost three years now and for so long now, I’ve been wanting to do something with my plant community, so I decided to do a traveling plant market. Since I have my store in Tampa, I decided to host the first plant market here.”

The first plant market will take place on Friday, March 24 at Desilet’s shop, Cactus Moon Plant & Gift Shop. It will feature a plant swap, plant vendors, local makers, live music, vegan food and so much more. “My vision with this is to create plant market that does pop-up plant markets in Tampa,” Desilet said. “Orlando and Miami have plant markets, so I wanted to get Tampa on the map as well.”

Desilet was extremely pleased and surprised by how many local residents registered for her upcoming plant market.

“I put 100 free tickets on Eventbrite for the plant swap at the market and it sold out in a few days,” Desilet said. “I couldn’t believe it!”

Plant swaps have become more and more popular since the recent COVID-19 pandemic. During difficult times, bringing your community together is more important than ever. If you love all things plants, reconnect with others, then a free plant swap is something to consider. “The pandemic really had some silver linings for me,” Desilet said. “I was able to open my own storefront, create some amazing artisan and plant markets, as well as get more people involved with plants and hosting plant swaps.”

Plant swaps are a rewarding method of promoting inclusivity within your neighborhood and allow you to share the love of plants with other green thumbs or brown thumbs. A neighborhood plant swap can be anything from a small gathering in your backyard to leaving some flowers, seeds, or plants by your neighbor’s door.

There are many benefits to hosting a plant swap, such as helping the environment, learning more about gardening techniques, and most importantly connecting with others.

A plant swap isn’t just about growing plants, it’s about growing a community as well. Aside from the obvious benefits of taking home a new plant baby, plant swaps can help you learn more about organic urban gardening and techniques from fellow green thumbs. Not only will you swap plants, but you’ll trade information about how to take care of your plant, what plants grow well in your area and other cool tips and tricks they may know.

Plant swaps can help encourage wellness for a community and the planet. No matter how small your space is, the simple act of gardening or adding a plant to your home can do so much for the environment. For example, planting more flowers can encourage bee pollination. Also, adding air-purifying plants to your home can improve the quality of the air you breathe and can boost your mood by reducing stress and improving productivity.

Popular houseplants for a swap include jade, spider plants, pothos, succulents, and dracaena stalks. However, picking the type of plant will also depend on the time of year you plan to host your swap.

Plants come in many shapes and sizes, so encourage many different types like cuttings, also known as “starts” and baby plants “pups.” Keep in mind these plants can either be potted or bare root. Trading seed packets also puts a unique spin on your swap since your neighbor can grow their plant themselves.

If you’d like to learn more about Cactus Moon or if you would like to attend Desilet’s upcoming Plant Market, you can visit their website at www.cactusmoonmarket. com or call Desilet at 813-727-3095. Cactus Moon is located at 4206 N. Nebraska Ave. in Tampa.