My Story

I started the GrowThru at a critical point in my life. The pandemic was in full swing and I had just been laid off from my job. The probability of getting re-hired wasn’t looking good. I worked at a tile store designing bathrooms and kitchens and such, but now suddenly had a decision to make, continue down a career path I never really planned on having, or go back to school and pursue my dreams of becoming a plant scientist. I struggled with this decision for a couple months and realized whenever I was struggling, I always turned to my plants. Whether just sitting and admiring them, taking care of them with watering and cleaning or repotting and rearranging. While I did this, it always helped me Grow Thru whatever dilemma I was going through. Watching them grow let me look inward at my own growth and it became an integral part of my mental health routine.

I then realized I had more plants than pots to put them in. Once you get bit by the plant bug, it’s hard to get rid of (as I’m sure many of you know)! I was sick of using wasteful plastic containers and started looking into alternative options. Then I remembered my love for making pottery when I was younger and I started taking lessons throwing on the wheel. It turned out I wasn’t the only one who liked what I was making, and decided to get my own wheel in the summer of 2021. I wanted to share my love for plants and ceramics with the world, and GrowThru was born. Growing through what I was going through (literally and figuratively) helped me in so many ways, so if I can pass that on to the next plant parent, whether a beginner or an expert, I am grateful to do so.

-Rheannon Smyth (founder)