About Kaleigh Brillon

Kaleigh Brillon

Writer & Plant Lover

I attribute my love of plants to my grandfather. He and my grandmother always had a vegetable garden, and I spent a lot of my time at their house looking at the plants and making mud pies with the nursery pots. Eventually, my parents started their own garden, and I always ended up being the one caring for it the most.

It wasn’t until a plant biology class in my second year of college that I became obsessive about plants. I had to grow zinnias in the greenhouse for an assignment, and that greenhouse quickly became my favorite place to be. My project partner let me have her zinnias when the assignment was over, and from that point on, I’ve always had something growing. Every year I grow vegetables in a raised bed and wildflowers in flower beds.

I’m a freelance writer living in west Texas. I graduated with an English degree, but I often wish I had gone the route of studying plants. If I’m not in my garden, I watch videos about plants while crocheting or attempting to knit.

Q. What’s your favorite plant?

My favorite plant is lantana. I respect all the color variations, but I’m partial to the yellow, orange, and pink variety. I love that the clusters of flowers seem to change every day and that the bright flowers stand out from the dark green leaves so well.

Q. What is your “spirit vegetable”?

My spirit vegetable would have to be peppers. The package says it needs full sun, but it thrives when it has partial shade here in west Texas. As a born and raised Texan, you’d think I could handle the heat, but I need all the shade I can get.

Q. What’s the most unusual plant you’ve grown?

Although it’s not “unusual,” I’d have to say it was a jalapeño plant that came straight from the sun. I’ve never had jalapeños that hot before in my life. They absorbed every last bit of heat we experienced during that extra hot summer. To this day, I still shudder when I think of that biting into that burger I put the jalapeño on. I’ve been afraid of spicy peppers ever since and can’t eat them without great hesitation first.

Articles from Kaleigh Brillon

How to Plant, Grow and Care For Rambutan Trees

rambutan tree

If you live in the US or Europe, you might be wondering what on earth a rambutan tree is. It’s a heat-loving tropical plant that needs to grow in USDA hardiness zone 10 or higher, so many of you may only be able to buy them online or in specialty farmers’ markets. They’re related to … Read more

Ground Cherry Plant: How To Grow Cape Gooseberries

ground cherry plant

They’re on the ground, but they’re not cherries! This unique fruit is in the nightshade family, offering a little sweetness and umami flavor. Some varieties are sweeter than others, and the “Aunt Molly’s” cultivar is reminiscent of a pineapple, so you’ll definitely want to try out more than one ground cherry plant to see if … Read more

How to Plant, Grow and Care for Sorrel

Green sorrel plant growing in garden with soil nearby.

If you enjoy a pop of lemony herbs in your salads and dishes, you should consider adding the sorrel plant to your garden! It’s easy to grow and will fit right in with your herb garden or next to your spinach. Two main types of sorrel are often used in cooking: Rumex acetosa (garden sorrel) … Read more

When To Plant Dahlias: The Best Time Of Year

Pink Dahlias in the garden blooming mid summer

What’s more captivating than a garden full of poofy dahlias!? These gorgeous flowers look beautiful on the plant or in cut floral arrangements. Adding them to your garden is quite easy as long as you know when to plant dahlias since timing is important. Dahlia plants are members of the Asteraceae family and love sunshine … Read more