Hidden Gems: Meet Kenneth Rickerd of the plant daddies

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenneth Rickerd.

Hi Kenneth, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Plant Daddies was born from an unexpected moment in time — during the COVID-19 pandemic — between two friends, Dane Jordan and Macy Lucarelli, the original founders.

When COVID hit, both of their careers came to an abrupt halt. Dane was working in high-end fine dining as a server, and Macy was a real estate agent. With restaurants closed and home showings nearly impossible, both found themselves suddenly out of work. Gyms were also shut down, so the two began meeting in the Hollywood Bowl parking lot to work out together. It was there, in that parking lot, that the idea for The Plant Daddies was planted.

Dane had a long-standing background in plants. Growing up in Virginia, he worked at a nursery, which sparked his love for plants at a young age. Later in life, he studied design and architecture, which strongly influences how The Plant Daddies approach plant styling, layouts, and overall design today.

Macy’s plant journey began later in life. He started with houseplants, then became obsessed with growing passion fruit. After a trip to Hawaii, he accidently brought a passion fruit back with him. So he began growing them from seed in cups then eventually his yard. He documented the entire process on Instagram — posting daily updates as the vines grew and spread around his property and into other areas of Los Angeles. Eventually, people began calling him “The Plant Daddy,” a nickname that would later become the foundation of the company’s name.

Macy stopped at a nursery beneath his apartment on his way to meet Dane for their workout. There was an hour or more wait in line just to get inside. During COVID, people were stuck indoors and working remotely, and plants had become a way to bring life and nature into their homes. It was clear that houseplants were exploding in popularity. When Macy arrived at the Hollywood Bowl parking lot, he told about the nursery line and said they should start a plant business together — buying plants, potting them, and selling them to people who wanted beautiful plants without the hassle. He didn’t know Dane had already began the process of opening a plant company. He filled an LLC and was planning this on his own. Originally, Dane had planned to call the business Green Vibes Plants Co. However, Macy convinced him to partner together and adopt the name The Plant Daddies.

They pooled their money and bought as many pots and plants as they could afford. Most of their plants came from the nursery’s “throw-away” section — plants that looked sick, damaged, or close to being discarded. Because they were less expensive they could more. They took those plants home, cleaned them up, rehabilitated them, repotted them, and brought them back to life. Original sales on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

That simple hustle — rescuing plants, restoring them, and giving them new homes — is how The Plant Daddies began.

The launch into what we like to think was a real business was when we partnered with Berbere Imports. Macy and Dane ran the craigslist/facebook hustle for a while and started to get clients on Instagram. However a chance meeting with Berbere is what really brought the business to life. That is the same time Macy asked Kenny Rickerd to join the business as the third partner to help organize the business and Berbere built us a greenhouse and moved us in, which was when things really started to become more serious. Berbere was the real launching point for the growth of the company. Putting us in front of a lot of interior designers in the industry. Now in the last 4 years we have grown from 3 owners to 16 employees and two locations. Still inside Berbere Imports in Los angeles and a location in Irvine, Orange County.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road,

Nearly every day seems to have a challenge.

Tons of growing pains. Lots of balancing spending money to grow vs trying to stay afloat. Lots of work trying to find and retain good employees.
Having problems with installations and making mistakes on jobsites. Find and sourcing the right kinds of plants to sell.

Mostly I would say employees and balancing budget is the hardest thing to do. Making sure we spend money in the right places. WE have made a lot of mistakes putting effort and money behind things that did not pay off.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Plant Daddies is a Southern California based plant design studio and nursery that elevates indoor greenery into sculptural living art. Rather than simply selling houseplants we transform rare, exotic, and high-end plants into bold statement pieces that merge nature, fine art, and interior design.
Exotic & High-End Plants: You curate a collection of unique, sought-after plants often sourced from far-reaching climates and acclimated to thrive in California.
• Living Art Installations: The focus is on creating large, sculptural pieces that contribute to interior design and visual impact.
• Design Services: In addition to selling plants, you offer design consultations and landscaping services to help clients incorporate plants into spaces intentionally.
• Premium Presentation: Plants are paired with carefully chosen vessels and pots that enhance form, texture, and presence, making them feel like curated art pieces.

Design-Driven Approach: Unlike typical nurseries, your philosophy treats plants as living artworks, integrating them into homes and commercial spaces with intent and aesthetic balance.
Curated, Rare Selection: Your inventory includes rare and sculptural species that aren’t typically found in big-box stores appealing to collectors, designers, and enthusiasts.
Full Experience & Service: Whether clients are novices or seasoned plant lovers, you help guide them through selection, design, and care offering support beyond just purchase.
Lifestyle & Luxury Branding: Your brand positions plants as essential elements of modern interiors and personal spaces, blending lifestyle, design, and nature.
Your team’s journey from social media beginnings to broader exposure highlights how The Plant Daddies has tapped into a trend where indoor greenery is both aesthetic and meaningful.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We are in both LA and Orange County.

Best parts of LA are the wide range of completely different areas we can be in from one day to the next. There are so many pockets of beautiful homes throughout the county. WE are fortunate enough to get to work in some of the nicest neighborhoods and real estate in the area. Also with all walks of life from CEO’s, Celebrities and a new LA transplant sometimes in the same week.

For LA most people would agree the traffic is the worst part of the city and surrounding area. Its pretty much a nightmare getting around town most of the time.

Orange County is just beautiful just about everywhere we go. We love the area and the locations it is taking us too. Having access to San Diego and its plant growers is extremely nice as well. The main thing we love is our location. Its a 6 acre landscaped private park or basically a botanical garden now. It is the absolute best place to come to work.

The bad would be its a lot to run the second location. it strains our resources and effort to be able to operate a second place

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theplantdaddies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.plant.daddies