Renata's Garden

If you’re from the El Dorado area I know you’ve seen Renata’s adorable plant bus parked around town and maybe you’ve even been a customer of Renata’s! I had the joy of getting to know Renata before her dream materialized and it was indeed a priviledge. Today Renata is going to share some of her journey with you and I’m sure you’ll find inspiration in it just like I did!

Renata Goossen graduated in 2017 from Berean Academy and went on to get her Horticulture degree from Kansas State University in 2021. When we did Renata’s senior photos she already knew she wanted to pursue horticulture, but she said her interest in it began long before that. "My first memory in horticulture was at Botanica in the butterfly house. They used to offer kids classes, and mom would take me. Both of my parents encouraged my love of nature. It wasn’t until junior high that I realized it could be a potential career because of my participation in 4-H."

Renata loves seeing people’s faces light up when they board her plant bus. "I created Renata’s Garden from multiple inspirations, but the main inspiration came from my desire to empower people to grow plants no matter where they were—whether that was rural Kansas or downtown Wichita.” She does a great job empowering locals to pursue their love of plants through education and her “Unearth Horticulture” channel on Youtube. (Just visit https://www.youtube.com/@renatasgarden) Renata has a repotting station on the bus and she also offers plant consultations in person or via technology. She is a huge advocate of native plants and the tallgrass prairie. Renata’s excitement for horticulture is contagious. You instantly feel at home when you step onto the plant bus and no question is a dumb question - Renata’s happy to help!

It’s inspiring how Renata knew her dream and pursued it even as a high schooler. I asked her what her advice to high school girls would be and this is what she shared. She even agreed to let me share some of her senior pictures below. ;)

"I would tell my high school self that 'there are more people out there like you.' I used to feel like I didn’t really fit in with any crowd. I could adapt for sure, but high school is tough. I think we can all recognize that. It was such a relief to find others interested in my interests when I got to college. My advice for high school girls would be to find an interest and stick to it. Sometimes, we feel pressured to do or like what the rest of our classmates are doing. You don’t always have to go with the flow. I think the most valuable thing I did in high school was focus on my interests and goals. It kept me grounded when I didn’t feel like I fit in.”

I love Renata's ingenuity in taking her passion and doing something with it that nobody had seen done. She honed in on what lit her up and it now brings joy to so many people who are delighted with her plant bus. Renata encourages girls who are considering starting their own business, "If you’re interested in starting your own business, you need to hear that you CAN do it! I can’t tell you how many times people doubted my goals or even still belittle them. You learn to stop listening to those voices and listen to your inner passion for what you do. If you love it, you can do it. But, that passion has to be there because its what I lean on constantly."

If you haven’t met Renata, you can learn more and get in touch with her through her website at https://www.renatasgarden.com, OR stop by a pop-up around the Wichita area sometime! Thank you Renata for encouraging us to pursue our dreams and lean into our own unique passions!

And she STILL has the most adorable smile and laugh. ;)