🌱 Tara Benson: The Loving Plant Girl Next Door 🌱

Hello friends! I am Tara, your friendly Vertical Farming Technologist 🪴, and I have been through some ups and downs ( like my greenhouse full of drama 🌿💔 ) in my heart. So if you are interested in pursuing a quite amalgamation of plant parenthood, technology nerd, and messy love stories, you found your tribe, and I hope you are ready to giddy-up. Because my life is theme parks spray, and nutrient solutions for the plants, praise, it's a crazy ride!

Once Upon a Time... in a Hydroponic Lab 🧪❤️‍🔥

Imagine you are me, 23, and covered in lettuce seedlings, while I thought my biggest issue was balancing the pH... until he came in. We will call him 'The Botanist' (because this is ironically funny to me). He was tall, with scruffy hair, and a smile that could photosynthesize my common sense. We chatted about aeroponic systems, and made taco runs for late-night gigs. For two years, I interpreted his "I'm not ready for a label" as "I want to change for you." Spoilers: he didn't. The breakup text? "Plants need space to grow. So do I." (I really hope I don't have to hear another plant pun...)

Then came the rebound: The Startup Bro 💸🌶️

Now cue my " I'll date someone completely different!" phase where I decided to lean into the Silicon Valley vibes and slicked back hair guy whose idea of a fun date included pitching me on his "blockchain vertical farm" idea (yes, seriously). He liked my "quirky scientist vibe," and then he found out I cared more about soil health than his NFT collection. His exiting line from this non-relationship? "You're just too... wholesome for my brand." Hah, funny thing is I have thrived without his emotional unavailability brand.

And now? I'm dating myself (and 200-plus plants) 💚

As it turns out, my vascular plants and I have the most fulfilling relationship, that is with my vertical farm. My babies (kale, basil, and a very needy orchid I affectionately called Diva) never ghosted me. And my followers and friends? You all are the serotonin I didn't know I needed. So now I'm here, opening up my heart and vulnerabilities, blunders, and my actually functional hydroponic hacks. Let's grow together (emotionally and in agriculture).

• P.S. All my followers and friends, you can DM me for advice on plants and breakup playlists, I have both on lock.* 🔒✨