From the Heart

Let me start off by saying—thank you. Thank you for even clicking the link, for taking five seconds to read this. My hope is that at least one person feels a little less alone in their grief, or realizes that it’s okay to feel exactly how you do.

So, I’m Lauren. I own Lauren and Plants.
I f*cking love plants. I absolutely adore the plant community, and I chose to make my passion a business.

But I’m still me. I’ve been through a lot—like, a whole lot.

Here’s the CliffsNotes version before we dive in a little deeper into what I’m currently working through:

• In 2019, I lost my dad suddenly. He was the best dad ever.

• In 2020, I found out my partner of 11 years had been cheating the entire time. (She’s apologized and I chose to forgive her, but damn—it was traumatic.)

• I lost my aunt suddenly last year. We were incredibly close and shared a deep love for plants.

• And the most recent one: I lost my soulmate to addiction. He died of an overdose in December.

After working through the divorce and grieving my dad, I fell madly in love with a man named Tanner. And when I say he was my soulmate, I don’t mean in a fairytale way—our love had really high highs and really low lows. But we saw each other. He understood me like no one else had.

Before Tanner, I’d never experienced addiction up close. I love a glass of wine, but drugs were something I’d never touched—and I didn’t know how deeply addiction could affect someone or their loved ones.

This isn’t going to be a total Sad Sally story. (Well, kind of… but I’ll try to bring some light too.) Just stick with me a little longer.

So yeah, it was beautiful. But addiction won.
He lost his battle and I lost my soulmate.

Before he passed, I had to end things to protect myself. He was really sick, and I was lucky to have the support of Al-Anon to help me. Unfortunately, he died 8–9 months later.

In one of his last writings, he called our love “otherworldly.”
I believe that.

(If you’re loving someone who struggles with addiction, please know you’re not alone. Al-Anon was a lifeline for me, and it might be one for you too.)

After we broke up, I had to do serious healing.
Enter: plants.

I’d always dreamed of being a plant lady. But after Tanner, I became one—hardcore. I started collecting plants, learning everything I could, transforming my space. It became a sacred process.

Eventually, I turned my Instagram into a place to share my journey: @laurenandplants.
(Yes, the business name came from my IG handle. The glow-up is real.)

Since then, I’ve learned so much—not just about plants, but about people. The kindness I’ve found in the plant community has been overwhelming in the best way. I’ve been open about my highs and lows, and people have continued to show up for me.

I’ve connected with plant lovers all over the world. I’ve made real friends. And I realized this passion could be more than a hobby—it could be a business rooted in healing.

Plants saved me. Truly. I can’t imagine my life without the beauty they bring—or without this community.

I’ve had to grow a lot. I’m still growing.

It’s been hard—hell, I was crying 30 minutes ago—but I finally decided it might be okay to share this part of my life.

Maybe it’s okay if people know my story.
Maybe someone out there will read this and feel even a little bit less alone.

And if that’s you—hi. I see you.
I’m rooting for us. 🌱

Thanks for being here. I truly mean it.
If you’ve made it this far, just know I appreciate you more than you know.

Love y'all,

Lauren

💚 Resources that helped me:
Al-Anon Family Groups – Support for anyone affected by someone else’s drinking or addiction.

If you ever want to connect, shop, or just follow along, you can find me at:
💻 laurenandplants.com
📸 @laurenandplants on Instagram