About us, Evolution.
⛧⛧⛧
⛧DBP 23 - 24⛧
So yeah, story time.
Each year on September 1st I was updating our 'About us', and it felt like a nice lil cringe to keep it rolling. Seeing how each year I gradually felt more confident talking candidly, and relaxing into a more personal online space, away from traditional/normal cookie cuter settings of impersonal polished online retail spaces.
But then no update for September 1st of our fourth year. Instead I threw in the towel and called it a day.
In July 2023, we decided to move house after having been in that rental for 10yrs! I was beyond stressed out by the continual invasions of privacy and the unjust / irrational action requests from our previous real estate, and completely overwhelmed with preparing to move house. I sold off as much as I could, cancelled all market/event plans, and certain administrative requirements.
Aaaaand then,.. had an absolutely ferally cathartic melt down, right in line with the Super Blue Moon. Got wicked drunk, lit a fire, worked some spells, told every one and every thing to fuk all the way off.
Early November I put it out that we were shutting up, and early December I picked the towel right back up again! and said fuk that noise! deciding this lil thing I'm doing here, Death by Plants, isn't just about a online retail spece.
So we packed up our whole world. Two family members moved out, one offspring who had only just left highschool, and one adult offspring. Ohh boy my heart ached! I released a heap of belongings that no longer severed, and a heap of negative energy lighting fires almost every day. and we moved 80 minutes North.
And now we're coming back around, gearing up to September 1st, it's feeling like the first year all over. Energy.
I started Death by Plants over a few days, thinking, dreaming, and then just went fuck it, let's do this, I'll figure it out along the way, and registered in late July 2020.
Today we've just had a meeting with our new owners and property manager. I'm pretty dam happy rn. They have given us the go a head to relax, and live like we,.. well,.. like we actually live here! Think pictures on walls! Veggie Gardens and fruit trees! Trees with written consent of course, and full consideration for day we do decide to move on. *exhale* such a relief. No display home expectations!
This afternoon I naturally started playing with the website and dreaming of the CubbyHouse in full swing! Feeling very energised! And ready work back up to were we were with stock levels of plants and custom designed pots, plus books, stationery, and open to independent artists, and markets!
⛧⛧⛧
⛧DBP 22-23⛧
🌱Today, th 1st of September 2022, Death by Plants is two years strong 🙌
⛧
Aaaand guess who finally feels comfortable talking about themselves!
Fuk Yeah
☠️😎🌱
⛧
To those that don't know me personally, Hoii how ya doin! 🕷️ I'm Alexis (they/she, feral, nd, queer). I opened DeathbyPlants.Com in 2020, after yrs of obsessively propagating plants, and generally just fuking around with plants as a coping mechanism to help with my mental health. Jungly tropical plants, and everything that vines up a totem, have always been my passion. A 70s style sunken lounge, filled with plants, and a fernery patio to the side, is my dream!
.
Through pandemic lock downs, th connection between Mental Health and Plants became mainstream, naturally th plant boom followed, creating th perfect climate I needed to bring this to life. DBP was also born of a mad distain for all things beige, like those fucking ugly ass baby poo looking rainbows, and boring as fuk white on white everything. DBP def isn't perfect, or everything it could be,.. yet! I am constantly working toward creating an Alternative online Plant store, that's more than just retail!
Mental health is huge part of our Core. Being surrounded by Plants creates a place of solace, and getting dirty makes me feel clean and grounded. Years ago, struggling with drug addiction and domestic violence, plants were my comfort, my therapy, they were always free or easy to obtain, that no one gate-kept, no discrimination. See plant you like, knock on a door, ask about it, ask for a cutting. Usually ended up having great chats with elders, and scoring plants.
Th name Death by Plants comes from a place of very low mental health and suicidal ideation. A 'Choose Life' (🎶) thing, if I've gotta die of something, let this be th death of me, I'm going to live for this, do this till I'm ded tired each day, one day at a time. That probably sounds dramatic but Its a sad fact that so many of us go through th worst mental health issues not being able to speak up. Lucky I'm a loud mouthed bitch!😅 👉👈It's only taken me two yrs to feel comfortable talking candidly in first person here, without anonymity.
I've watched others claw their way back out th darkest places, with th help of plants. Having that lil green bitch to tend to each day, like a Tamagotchi, really does help! "This is my plant,.. It just sits there,.. it makes me happy 🥺." Checking in with them, your lil green buddy, IS checking in with YOU!
Another element of our Core is Permaculture!
At first I struggled to link this in with DBP bc I didn't want to alienate ppl with all this grubby talk of composting dog poo, intentionally growing weeds, or getting dumb shit excited about worm farms finally producing enough castings! Especially when everyone else in th Tropical Plant community was only boasting their insta worthy filtered perfection. But honestly fuk. that. noise! fuk perfection, and fuk self doubt. This is what's going on. Everyone needs to be on this, yesterday! Permaculture is THE answer! It's 42! I truly see it as th way out if this mess were in. And I don't know anyone who isn't keen to learn easy small changes, that have big positive impacts on our environment.
DBP offers Solution Services to help you set up Permaculture systems, personally customised to where your at!, locationally, life style wise, time, financially, etc. There's solutions to fit everyones different needs and circumstances.
Our special interest is low-income renters, but not limited to. These systems are mainly physical garden based Permaculture, but also not limited to. They may look like setting up a small bokashi composting bucket, may be helping connect you with your local community garden, may be growing enough food to create one full meal a week from your garden, etc.
I don't know what I don't know, and will never claim to be a guru. I am keen for us to learn together!
I've set up our rental property with Permaculture systems to save us money, make us money, improve our health, and make less work for us! Oh any there's fresh Parsley on hand 24/7!
Over th last few yrs I've done an on-site PDC with PermaQueer, covered the online PDC content with Tagari, Milkwoods Permaculture living course, online PDC content with Transformative Adventures, a online food forestry course, and obsorbed as much readily available content as I can!
The third Core element of DBP is holding space for Independent Artist. They can retail through DBP, and/or have a info page, and we're flexible to any evolutions this space can take.
Saving th best for last 😎
In our bio we say "living environmentally and socially conscious means th world to us", bc it literally does.
Our, my world, my offspring, and chosen offspring /family, some of THE best hoomans I know, are a mixture of Autists, POC, Trans, and Queer.
Soooo if you think I'm OTT shouty about shit, walk away, it's not for you! It's to drown out all th negative shit that these loveable lil arseholes and others like them have to face each day.
It's such an honour to have hoomans feel safe to share their story with me when they don't feel safe to be themselves at home. It's wild when you surround yourself with love and open minds, we easily forget th hateful bigots exist.
💜💙💚💛🧡❤️
⛧⛧⛧
⛧
⛧DBP 21-22⛧ 2nd yr⛧
Ahoyhoy 👋 *baymax wave here*
DBP has been a thing here on th interwebs for a whole dang year now! Yeeeee! .. and guess wot? Yeep, still a fucking green thumbed pirate mouthed bitch that says fuck a fucking lot!
aaaaand stilllll fucking haaaaate beige and talking about myself,...
sooo,... yar,...... Lets make it weird, why don't you tell me about yourself instead? Get comfy, I'll pop th kettle on 😘 dm
https://m.facebook.com/deathbyplants13
⛧
⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧⛧
Thought it might be a fun lil cringe to leave th old about us up and make it a yrly thang. I wonder if I'll wake up old one day and magically start enjoying Beige
⛧
⛧DBP 1st yr 2020 - 2021⛧
Yea, Ummm, I hate, fucking haaate, talking about myself. Most days I'm a mess and playing in th garden helps... Bringing th garden inside my home *finger guns*pew pew*... Helping others bring th garden into their lives & homes,.. with some trash talk,.. and witchy aesthetics *insert mega brain expansion meme here*
⛧⛧⛧