Brown Thumb? These BHAM ‘Plant Stylists’ Can Help

If you, like so many others, tried to become a bonafide “plant lady” during the COVID-19 pandemic — but failed miserably — we’re here to assure you that there’s no such thing as a “brown thumb.” And if you’ve categorized yourself as such, help is out there! Enter Karlin Fleming and Abby Kilmury, the creative forces behind Plant Stand, a plant design and styling company specializing in fabulous interior and exterior plant displays.

You may have seen Karlin and Abby at the Birmingham Home Show, Vintage Market Days, Pepper Place, or the Ross Bridge Farmers Market. They’ve hosted parties for neighborhoods like Lake Wilborn and events at Cahaba Brewing Company, and they also host pop-up shops throughout Alabama. We spoke with the pair to learn about the origins of Plant Stand, their offerings, and how to nurture our inner green thumbs.

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Karlin and Abby love designing beautiful planters for clients as a fun, creative way to engage with the community season after season. “I think some people make it out to be so much more difficult than it is to keep a plant alive,” Abby says. “You can learn to have a green thumb.” Karlin adds, “You can see the joy on their faces once we’re done, and we show our clients the final product. We build a relationship with them because we’re there every season.”

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How Plant Stand Got Its Start

When Karlin was a fourth-grade teacher, she would often fill her classroom with plants. A health scare showed her that plants could not only elevate her décor but also lift her spirits. “I went through a tough time in 2018,” she explains. “I had a seizure, and it rocked my world. I was kind of depressed, but I found joy in taking care of plants. It got me through.”

Karlin’s passion for plants was contagious. When Abby moved in next door, Karlin gave her new neighbor a snake plant as a housewarming gift. “I had never owned a houseplant before she brought me that one,” Abby says. “I got to experience the joy of seeing something live.” But despite her enthusiasm, Abby understands why people like me are reluctant to try plant parenting again. “I was intimidated by [plants] until I actually got my hands on them and got to working with them and learning about them,” she says. “I think my passion and the joy for plants comes from the aesthetics of it. I love what it can do to a space. It can brighten it. It brings life and texture and color.”

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Before she started Plant Stand, Karlin was an elementary school teacher for seven years. She decided to leave the classroom after experiencing burnout. “There was no work/life balance,” Karlin says. “It really consumed me, so I was starting to get burned out. I always said if I lost my passion, I would be out because the kids deserve more. They deserve someone who’s not just there for a paycheck.”

Karlin knew she wanted to turn her plant passion into a profit but wasn’t sure how. She considered opening a nursery, but “Land is expensive!” she says. She shared her entrepreneurial dreams with Abby, and the two friends became business partners. Abby also worked in education, helping elementary school students struggling with reading and math, but she was looking for a career change after she became a mom. Eventually, Karlin and Abby settled on the idea of a pop-up plant shop. Thankfully, Karlin and Abby not only have each other — they have the support of their families behind them, too. “Our husbands are very supportive and motivating,” says Karlin, whose husband built out the interior of the trailer they use for their pop-up shops. “They stand behind us.”

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Plant Stand officially launched in September of 2020 but starting a plant business at a time when plants are as trendy as TikTok dances was not without its drawbacks. Buying inventory was tough. With demand high, supplies were low. But Plant Stand persevered, and the pop-up shops proved to be just the beginning. An acquaintance working on the A&E show Flipping Down South enlisted Karlin and Abby to create several custom plant designs, including a succulent garden in a piano. Not long after, that concept became a thriving portion of the business — designing interior and exterior planters for homes and businesses.

Additionally, Karlin and Abby get to put their teaching backgrounds to use, instructing folks like me on choosing the right plants for their home and keeping those plants alive for years to come. If a client has a question about a plant, Abby and Karlin are there to help. “You can shoot us a text message, an email, or a DM,” Abby says. “We’re small, so we can have more intimate relationships with our customers. It’s not like, ‘Come buy a plant, and we’ll never see you again.’ It’s ‘Come buy a plant and let’s maintain this relationship.’”

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Advice for Aspiring Plant Parents

If you’re ready to give plant parenthood another try, you can get started by chatting with Karlin and Abby. They’ll ask you about the vibe of your interior decor, the lighting in your home, and how much time you want to spend caring for your house plants. “We get to know the person, then help them select a plant,” Karlin says. “When we sell a plant, we always make sure you know how to take care of it.”

Good starter plants include snake plants, which can thrive with little water and in any lighting conditions; ZZ plants, which only need watering once a month and little to no light; or ferns, which are perfect if you tend to overwater. Karlin and Abby want you to know that it’s not too late to develop a green thumb. “We have killed a thousand plants,” Abby confesses. “We learned every single piece of information we’re telling you through research, trial, and error.”

Maybe you’ll be sending Karlin and Abby happy plant pictures one day, too!

All photos provided by Plant Stand.

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