Meet Adelle Rogers | Plant Mom

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

Hi Adelle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, I was stuck at home like most people. I was not working during this time, so I had plenty of time and energy to learn about new things I found interesting. Somehow, I got into the Instagram algorithm of plants, and I could not stop wanting to learn more. The apartment complex that my husband and I lived in during this time was rather large and hand some good landscaping. During our walks, I would come across some succulents and cacti and decided to sneakily take some cuttings to attempt to propagate the plant. Some attempts were successful; others, not so much (but that’s how we learn!). Lucky for me, we had just recently moved into this apartment, and my mother in law had gifted us with a couple of plants for our new sunroom. So I decided to attempt to propagate those as well. I found it very addicting to keep propagating plants. There is just something exciting about finding success in trial and error.

In 2012, I turned 18, and like most people that age, my mail was bombarded with credit card offers. Also like most people, I became a victim of the credit card trap and developed unhealthy credit card spending habits. I had very quickly maxed out my first credit card and paid interest on that card for over a decade. I did a balance transfer again and again and found myself drowning more and more in the credit card trap. I knew I needed to do something in addition to my primary job to tackle this overwhelming credit card debt.

In 2022, I came across a Facebook group called Georgia Plant Trade and Sales. It was eye-opening and exciting to find a whole group of locals discussing plants, giving advice about plants, and of course buying and selling plants. I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of houseplants, and I very quickly started expanding my collection.

It wasn’t until 2023 that I decided to try turning my new hobby into a side hustle to help pay off my credit card debt. With all of the plants I accumulated over 3 years, I started to propagate as much as I could to share and sell my collection with other plant lovers. It was the ultimate win-win situation! In March 2023, I signed up to be a vendor for the first time at an event with Georgia Plant Trade and Sales. It was WAY outside of my comfort zone but so exciting to reap the benefits of all the hard work and knowledge I have gained and implemented over the years. My goal was to sign up as a vendor at least once a month to maintain a steady flow of extra funds to make extra credit card payments.

I am happy to say that after just a few months, I was able to pay off one credit card!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My business is called “Welcome to the Rogers Jungle.” What sets me apart is that while most plant businesses buy their plants wholesale then sell them to the public, all of my plants are propagated in-house from my personal collection, then grown and cared for with love. I sell my plants with the intention of sharing my collection while making some extra money, so my plants are very affordable for any plant lover. As a plant mom, I am always proud to sell my plants at events because I personally grew them. Sometimes I will even proudly show buyers a picture of the “mother plant” so the buyer can understand the characteristics of the plant and how it grows.

It hasn’t exactly been easy to do this business. We currently live in a rental townhouse with decent lighting. The entire house is essentially our greenhouse, with each window filled with plants that we take care of daily. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication watering the 350+ plants, propagating, transplanting, then preparing and labeling the plants for sale at events. It is essentially a second full-time job, especially during growing season! What has helped me to manage everything is using the Planta app to help manage all of my plants. This app helps me keep track of watering schedules, progress pictures, and even where I have the plants located in the house. Plant-styling is another skill I inevitably had to pick up during this process. I didn’t want to have an untamed jungle as a result of this business, so I had to develop an eye for utilizing vertical space and filling in blank walls to fit all my plants in a decorative way.

I have learned a handful of lessons along this journey, but believing in myself and having a good support system definitely tops the list. For anyone thinking of pursuing a business, big or small, I think that believing in yourself is the most imperative first step. Then keep working to figure out the rest. Keep in mind though that the path to success is not always linear; there will be some bumps along the way.

Plants have taught me so many life lessons, which has actually inspired me to write a book reflecting on them all. For example, plants need an entire recipe to thrive—proper light, watering, humidity, soil, temperature, fertilizer—and if even one of those ingredients are insufficient, the plant may survive but will not thrive. The same concept can be applied to you; you might be getting a good amount of light (a good job), but without consistent watering (physical activity), desirable humidity or temperature (an enriching environment), and regular fertilizing (nourishing self-care), you might be surviving but not thriving. You might need to tweak this recipe for yourself because every person (and plant) requires something different.

One key takeaway from my story is to always be open minded on what life will present to you. Some really good things can come as a result of disconnecting yourself from a distracting world and devoting time and energy into a fulfilling, new hobby (thanks, pandemic). It’s hard to remind myself that my pre-pandemic self was not into plants at all. In fact, back then I preferred fake plants so that I could not kill them. But, like learning how to grow plants, life is about trial and error, and you never know how passionate or how good you can be at something until you try. You might even find that niche that your soul has been searching for. Growth comes as a result from getting comfortable with getting uncomfortable.

Also, for those who may also have debts to be paid—working towards financial freedom does not have to be miserable. Side-hustles can be a very fun and rewarding thing if you find the right avenue that you enjoy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite places to eat are Antico for pizza, Frozen Cow or Jeni’s for ice cream, Rico’s for some delicious Mexican food, Henry’s Louisiana Grill, The Garden Room, and Rays on the River for seafood. For some good wine, I recommend Chateau Elan or Big Door Vineyards.
For some cool places to visit while in Georgia, I recommend a 5 hour road trip to St. Simons or Savannah.
Some fun places and things: The Battery, Ponce City Market, Marietta Square, Wild Animal Safari, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Botanical Garden

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not have had the courage to continue on this adventure if it wasn’t for my husband. This plant venture affects our daily lives with plants always needing to be watered, plant projects taking over the kitchen table, and of course plants taking over the house and walls. My husband not only tolerates the inevitable mess around the house but he also helps me water my plants daily and helps me sell my plants at events. I couldn’t successfully manage 350+ plants if it wasn’t for him!

I also want to give a shoutout to Shetal Patel and the Georgia Plant Trade and Sales Facebook group. As previously mentioned, it was very encouraging and exciting to get plugged in to a group of plant-lovers like myself. Shetal manages the group and has been very thoughtful of any upcoming events in which I may want to participate. She works very hard to manage the group and all the events, and I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for her dedication and encouragement.

In my plant journey, I have also met some really cool people who share a similar passion for the world of plants. Al’ya Bushelle was one of the first people I sold a plant cutting to, and she has been a go-to person for plant discussions. She has also recently started her own business, Everything Plant Company, and I am so honored to assist as her staff when needed.

Instagram: @welcometotherogersjungle