During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, lockdown hit everyone hard. Businesses stopped operations, restaurants closed and it seemed as if life itself had been suspended. For Reina Ginsberg, that time stuck at home meant the discovery of her passion for plants; a discovery that blossomed from succulent gardening in her backyard.
“I dedicated my time to being in the garden. It was a hobby, [but] my children said, ‘Mom, you are so good with the plants, why don’t you start your own small business?’ So then I started [Serenity Plants],” she said.
“Every human being has a gift; it’s just hiding. Find what your passion is and make it into something with your family … something that is unique,” Ginsberg said. “Create a small business!”
On March 22, the Idea Center hosted the Ventura County (VC) Plant Swap, a monthly open-house style event where guests can buy, sell and barter for all things plant-related, from clippings to arrangements or handmade plant pots. Small businesses, like Ginsberg’s, set up areas to advertise their products to eager attendees stopping by, while other guests offered up their own plants to trade. Besides plant-related goods, there were local food and drink businesses set up inside and outside the Idea Center, selling coffee and homemade baked goods.
Serenity Plants has been a regular at VC Plant Swap for about three years, offering arrangements of a variety of plants, such as Hens and Chicks, ZZ — also known as the Zanzibar Gem — and a multicolored Echeveria succulent, which is Ginsberg’s personal favorite.
“I like [VC Plant Swap] because it’s very relaxed and it’s very small,” Ginsberg shared. “This is the best way to meet new people … and you can start learning how to own a plant,” she said.
Scattered around the Idea Center were stations full of various plants, with each attendee bringing something unique, from octopus agave to passionfruits and snakeplants. Based around the concept of community and “stronger together,” VC Plant Swap encourages trading at its events, where attendees can interact with each other over shared botanical interests.
“I love plants, so when I saw the sign, I said, ‘Oh, I definitely have to make time on Sunday to come get plants,’” Tina Marie LeBourveau, an attendee, said.
LeBourveau brought three bags of succulent clippings to participate in the plant swap, and left with a new fern, Chinese money plant and some passionfruit.
“Children [are] being taught at a very young age to be in front of a computer instead of outside playing. Walk the botanical gardens here in Ventura and see how important it is to have plants in your life,” LeBourveau said.
In an age where several generations have grown up in a technology-heavy childhood and adulthood, events like VC Plant Swap that connect the community over physical interaction and a love of nature are few and far between. Meeting new people is much easier over social media apps like Instagram or on dating apps like Tinder. However, in-person community-centered events offer valuable human connection — especially over a wholesome interest like plants.
