About Amanda’s Plants

Amanda Constantinides

Owner & Grower

I’ve been surrounded by plants my whole life. My grandparents were dedicated gardeners, and in their retirement, they ran a small organic apple orchard and market garden in the West Virginia mountains. Summers at Windy Acres Orchard were my introduction to growing produce and selling at farmers markets. It’s also where I learned food preservation and handicrafts from my grandmother. Those summers were all about hands-on learning, whether it was planting, picking, or crafting.

As an adult, my love for plants has taken many directions. I started with simple flower gardens and potted annuals on my porch, then ventured into growing my first vegetable garden. That sparked my interest in food gardening, especially in small spaces. Along the way, I enjoyed canning and preserving food, earning blue ribbons for my corn relish and grape jelly at the NC State Fair. This led me to compete in the NC State Fair Flower and Garden Show, where I designed and built large display gardens for three consecutive years.

Each garden was built around a specific theme, and I loved the challenge of blending my creative skills from my freelance graphic and web design work with my growing knowledge of horticulture. My “Foodscaping” garden, created in my second year at the fair, won first place. My other entries—a Pollinator Garden and a Zen-Inspired Relaxation Garden—each earned second place.

Around this time, I also worked seasonally at a mail-order nursery located at a botanical garden, which introduced me to a range of unique plants not found in typical garden centers. I became fascinated with exotic tropicals and deepened my interest in botany and plant taxonomy. Traveling became another way to fuel this passion, with visits to botanical gardens across the U.S. and even a trip to the Netherlands to explore the tulip fields.

I’ve been gardening throughout my entire adult life—from houseplants in my first college apartment, to flower beds and veggie gardens at all of my homes. I gardened through pregnancy and while raising my daughter, always relishing the moments of her enjoying fresh cherry tomatoes and strawberries straight from our garden as a toddler.

When my daughter turned two, we moved to Southwest Florida to be closer to family. Surrounded by the lush landscape and tropical plants, I dove headfirst into propagating tropicals while living in an Airbnb. Once we settled into our new home, my patio quickly filled with propagated plants, and I decided I could turn my hobby into a business. So, I retired from my career as a graphic/web designer and launched Amanda’s Plants.

Now, I grow and sell tropical plants at local farmers markets, vendor events, and online. I specialize in exotic and rare plants, curating a diverse selection to appeal to everyone from beginners to seasoned plant lovers. In addition to plants, I create plant-related handicrafts like macramé hangers, painted pots, and design plant-themed stickers and accessories for fellow plant enthusiasts. I also offer a handpicked collection of garden tools and supplies that I personally use in my nursery.

Amanda’s Plants is about more than just selling plants—it’s about connecting with others through plants and helping them cultivate their own green spaces.