Kendra ran a plant shop — Greenish Iowa in Williamsburg — and she's opening a new one next to my card shop in Clear Lake. These are the starter plants she hands beginners, including the ones that survived ME.
The undefeated champion. Water it when you remember it exists.
Snake Plant
Trails off any shelf and forgives almost everything.
Golden Pothos
Low light, low water, high survival rate.
ZZ Plant
Makes free baby plants. Kendra's gateway plant.
Spider Plant
Pothos's fancy cousin. Same chill personality.
Heartleaf Philodendron
It droops dramatically when thirsty — a plant that asks for help.
Peace Lily
Kitchen-window hero: sunburns and small scrapes.
Aloe Vera
The slow-and-steady one. Outlives furniture.
Jade Plant
Named correctly. Victorian parlors, modern dark corners.
Cast Iron Plant
The statement plant. Give it light and room to climb.
Monstera Deliciosa
No soil, no mess. Mist them and feel fancy.
Air Plants (Tillandsia) Set
Basil you grew yourself hits different in January.
Windowsill Herb Garden Kit
Bathroom humidity's best friend.
Bird's Nest Fern
Kendra's plant shop, opening next door to The Trophy Case in Clear Lake. Her first shop was in Williamsburg.
Greenish Iowa — Coming 2027
Free — the gardening shelf is where obsessions start.
Williamsburg Public Library
Free — Iowa-specific plant answers from actual experts.
