BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Connecting people over potted plants, O Grows is hosting a Houseplant Swap on Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at 1103 Glenn St. in Opelika.
“The O Grows plant swap is something that we do in collaboration with a house plant swap group in the area, and so we collaborate with them — they come out and they help organize a lot of the people that come out, because they’ve already got this established organization, but then we host it,” said O Grows Farmers Market manager Antonio Martinez. “We probably will have a couple of vendors, and it’s just a good morning.
“We grow a lot at the garden,” he said. “We have our community gardeners, but we donate a lot of that food, so the garden space also just doesn’t get seen very much. It’s a good opportunity for us to have the Houseplant Swap, so people who are interested in plants and come out and learn a little bit more about the garden, outdoor gardening, potentially.”
Martinez said the O Grows Houseplant Swap is a free space for locals to sell or swap plants and connect with others who have a shared passion for plants. Martinez said even if someone has just one plant they want to swap or sell — they are welcome to do so.
“If people want to come to participate and sell plants or swap plants, that is completely free,” he said. “If they want to give us a heads up, that’s great. If people just want to show up the day of [that works too], it’s not a competitive atmosphere. People aren’t necessarily coming to make money at the plant swap — it’s more just for the community and for the love of house plants, so anybody is welcome. It’s a free event to attend — people can always bring a plant and swap, so it is open to all of their community.”
Along with enjoying the Houseplant Swap, Martinez said those who attend can explore O Grows and say, “hey” to the goats.
“It’ll probably be a little bit cool, it will be inside — we have a greenhouse on site,” he said. “We’ll set up the Plant Swap inside on our concrete patio area. There will be a ring of plant vendors. They’ll probably arrive a little bit late, if I’m being completely honest, but they’ll be there. The energy is just people sitting around, chatting and having a good time. You can explore the garden — you can also stop by and see the goats.”
Martinez said he believes house plants are a positive entry into enjoying plants and gardening, and the Houseplant Swap encourages people — experienced or not — to engage with plants.
“Houseplants, to me, gather a community of people who care for things — who enjoy caring and nurturing and paying attention to little plants,” he said. “Some houseplants can get very big, of course, but I think a lot of indoor planting and houseplants are a low-stakes way to get into caring for plants. And I think that’s the energy of the event. It’s people that care for plants and want to come together and share that energy with other people who also want to care for these plants. …If you just want to ask a question, this is definitely an event where you could come and ask very experienced people about plants, and connect with them.”
For more information, visit O Grows/O Grows Farmers Market on Facebook.
