The Story Behind Boba's Plants
From a childhood garden in Montenegro to handmade planters in Surrey — this is the story of how Boba’s Plants began.
Where It All Began
My name is Boba — yes, that’s really what everyone calls me — and plants have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I grew up in Montenegro in a home filled with my mother’s beautiful houseplants and surrounded by my father’s incredible garden. In a space that wasn’t especially big, he grew everything — fruit trees, vegetables, herbs — all organically, all with love. I spent hours alongside both of them: helping Mum care for her indoor collection and working with Dad among the rows of seasonal vegetables.
My very first responsibility was the strawberries. I was just a little girl, but I took it so seriously — tending to them, watching them grow, and feeling so incredibly proud when harvest time arrived. To this day, I always grow strawberries in my garden here in Surrey. It’s my own little piece of Montenegro, a thread that connects me back to those early days and the people who planted the seed of everything Boba’s Plants would become.
Falling in Love with Succulents
The succulent obsession started, as the best ones do, on holiday. Travelling around the UK, my husband and I fell completely in love with Cornwall — and with the incredible succulents and cacti that seem to thrive everywhere down there. Every visit, I’d come home with a few more beautiful plants tucked carefully in the car.
Within a couple of years, my house was overflowing. I’d started propagating them and very quickly ran out of space. I knew some of my plants needed new homes. As it happened, my husband was running a T-shirt business at the time, selling at weekend festivals and artisan markets — so I joined him, bringing along my succulents.
That’s when I discovered just how much people love houseplants, especially succulents and cacti. Before long, I was selling most weekends and receiving regular invitations from market and festival organisers to attend their events.
Taking the Leap
For a while, I did it all: trading every weekend, caring for hundreds of plants at home, and working five days a week in an office accounts department. After a few years, the pace was exhausting. Something had to give.
I had a decision to make — and I have to admit, it wasn’t a hard one. I left my office job and devoted myself entirely to Boba’s Plants.
Learning to Do It Properly
With hundreds of succulents to care for, new challenges appeared. Not every plant stayed perfect and beautiful — pests, diseases, and the heartbreak of watching a favourite plant struggle without knowing how to help. I realised that love and passion alone weren’t enough to keep them healthy.
So I went back to education, earning my RHS qualification. Now I don’t just use that knowledge to keep Boba’s Plants thriving — I share it with my customers, especially new plant parents who want a home full of healthy, happy plants. There is nothing more rewarding than when someone returns to my stall to tell me their plants are still alive and absolutely thriving.
Creating Something You Can’t Find Anywhere Else
I’ve always loved unusual, quirky pots — but finding them proved almost impossible. I spent hours, days, weeks searching for planters that matched my vision: something truly different from what you’d grab at a garden centre or department store. Eventually, the idea of making my own simply wouldn’t leave my head.
I researched for days, watched countless videos, read every instruction I could find, and finally felt brave enough to order the materials. It took time to find the perfect waterproof, durable material — but that determination is exactly how Boba’s Plants planters were born.
Every single planter is individually hand-cast and finished in colours and textures that are deliberately chosen to complement the plant inside it — matched to its colour, shape, and size. No two are ever alike. The result is something so alive and beautiful that customers at markets regularly stop to ask whether the plants are real. That reaction captures perfectly the quality and care that goes into every piece.
More Than Just a Plant and a Pot
When you buy from Boba’s Plants, you’re not just getting a beautiful planter and a gorgeous succulent. You’re getting my personal expertise and aftercare — guidance on watering, positioning, and plant care, a Plant Encyclopaedia on the website, and direct access to me for any questions.
You’re buying confidence that your plant will thrive.
This combination of unique handmade design, rare and beautiful plants, colour-matched presentation, and genuine aftercare support is something no garden centre, supermarket, or mass-produced retailer can replicate. And that’s because every piece starts with the same thing it always has — love.
With love and a little bit of soil,
Boba x
