Hi, I’m Rob and welcome to The Pitcher Plant Project! What had started out as a curious childhood fascination has since turned into an ongoing exploration of wonder, creativity, and growth. I am constantly amazed by these plants. They are beautiful and they are badass. This blog is a space where I can document and share this journey of growth, creativity, and beauty with you.
Me and Lolo (grandfather) in the garden. 1985.
From as early as I can remember, plants have always intrigued me. I grew up in an extended family Filipino household in the SF Bay Area, California (where this blog started.) Growing up, my love of plants was strongly influenced by the family – especially my mom and my grandparents. I remember our home full of plants, both indoors and out. That was (and still is) my norm. I used to look through plant catalogs and ask my mom to place an order through the mail. (Pre internet era.) We had a multitude of monsteras before it was cool. Sometimes Mom would come home with pothos, bromeliads, and other plants that her office was cycling out. My grandparents would work in the garden growing vegetables, fruit trees, ferns, and flowers. There were orchids in the kitchen. Cacti and succulents were out back. At one point, my grandfather had quite the rose and fruit/vegetable garden. I imagine that gardening had nostalgic elements that connected them back to the Philippines where plants were part of their daily life. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to grow up in such a garden-rich environment. Cultivating plants is a way for me to connect with them and honor their legacy.
As a child, I can specifically recall being interested in the plants of the carnivorous type. I was impressed with how carnivorous plants worked “backwards.” It seemed these plants challenged the perceived natural order. Instead of an insect eating a plant, it was the other way around. I thought that was cool. I was so obsessed, that early on I’ve even tried to create my own pitcher plant. Good times.
I have been successfully growing these plants since the early 2000’s. (Goodness.) Some of this crazy carnivorous plant journey has been documented in blog format since 2010 starting here, migrating here, and eventually evolving to the current version which you are now on. Thanks for following along, it really means a lot.
Transplanted from California, I’m now living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest just outside of Portland, Oregon. I’m here with my fantastic family: my amazing wife Dahlia, two fantastic sons Josiah and Luc, and wonder dog Kaia. (I’m thankful they’re all tolerant of my plant obsession. 🙂 )