My love of plants took root at the age of 7 when a seed I planted in a Styrofoam cup at school became a 10-foot-tall sunflower! An avid gardener all my life, I studied landscape horticulture at Merritt College in Oakland where I got inspired to remove my home’s front lawn and replace it with water-wise plants. After several neighbors followed suit, I realized, much to my surprise, that I’d started a garden revolution. The result? Less water used, more pollinator visits, and a greater sense of community beautifully cultivated.

My garden was twice featured on the Bay-Friendly Gardening Tour, each time attracting over 200 visitors, and I’ve become the resident green thumb on my street thanks to a neighborhood garden tour I’ve helped organize and grow over the past several years. Having worked as a journalist and marketing creative, I’ve had plant and garden articles published in The American Gardener, Pacific Horticulture and Sunset.

In 2022 I launched Paul-Lee-Nation (a stylized mashup of ‘pollination’ with my first and last name) after having grown my indoor plant collection from zero to 100—thanks to the discovery of plant swaps during Covid and connecting with other plant lovers online. Plant life in all its forms—from a bold tropical specimen thoughtfully placed in a living room to a patio surrounded by beautifully curated potted plants—has the power to connect us with the spaces in which we live, work and explore. Through my passion for plant life, I hope to inspire others to make the most of this connection.