I'm Nikki, and I've been obsessed with plants for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I spent most of my childhood out in nature, exploring the woods and admiring every leaf, flower, and tree I could find. My parents would literally have to force me to come inside for dinner because I just wanted to spend all my waking hours outside, discovering new plants and watching how they grew.
We had the most incredible backyard with every vegetable you could think of and every fruit tree and berry bush you could imagine. I loved spending time in that garden, learning how different plants thrived and getting my hands dirty helping them grow. Being in nature has always been such a mood booster and energizer for me. There's something magical about being surrounded by living, growing things.
Non-toxic living became incredibly important to me as an adult. All the products I use in my daily life are chemical-free, from my skincare and cleaning products to the food I eat. I believe our homes should be sanctuaries of health and wellness, not sources of hidden dangers.
So when I started looking for plants to bring into my own home, I was shocked by how difficult it was to find reliable information about plant safety. Why should we be living with plants that could cause harm to our loved ones?
When I was researching plants for my own home, I realized how much time it took to find and source truly non-toxic plants. Plants you don't have to worry about children being around, plants you don't have to stress about with curious pets. The research was exhausting and often contradictory.
I spent countless hours cross-referencing ASPCA databases, botanical safety guides, and veterinary resources. I discovered that while some companies had small "non-toxic" categories buried in their websites, no one was actually specializing in pet-safe plants.
That's when it hit me: if I was struggling with this as someone who'd been passionate about plants my entire life, how many other families were either avoiding plants altogether or unknowingly bringing potentially dangerous plants into their homes? How many people were missing out on the incredible wellness benefits of living with plants simply because they couldn't find reliable safety information?