👋 Hi, I'm Anya.

Let's take it back - and far. To the Far East of Russia. Khabarovsk City to be exact. When people ask where I am from, I usually say Siberia because most people have never heard of (or can pronounce) Khabarovsk. But Siberia is huge, and this is my website, so what the heck!

My beautiful hometown sits on the banks of the Amur River which separates China and Russia. It is surrounded by deep, undeveloped forest with few trails. Many people in the city have a cottage in the countryside where they grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers (we call it “dacha”). My family spent virtually every weekend working there in the spring and summer. Because I was part of a folklore choir, our neighbors always knew when we were working. I learned from my mom and grandma from an early age to work hard with my “head down and butt up” and to be in touch with the soil.

When grandma was not working in the garden, she would take me for long walks in the forrest ("tiaga") where we would hunt for mushrooms, berries and fern sprouts. Foraging was fun, but it was more than that - it was our mediation and bonding time. She is 90 now - and still working barefoot in her garden all summer.

Back in the city, our small apartment was always full of beautiful flowers and houseplants. My mom had plants on every windowsill. I remember how she treated them with such love and care, and how I always tried to follow her example. My favorite job was dusting each leaf. I have always been drawn to the little, tedious tasks.

I immigrated to the United States in 2013 by myself. I didn't know many people and I barely spoke English. But I was in love with San Francisco and the endless opportunities that America stands for. Plants became my roommates and my friends. My collection grew overtime as I began to indulge and explore my creativity. I got back into painting and singing as a hobbies. I taught a children's art class every Saturday at the Community Center, and studied graphic design at San Francisco City College. I was fortunate to work on the production team with Water Lily Pond Floral Design Studio. The owner, Natasha is a huge inspiration to me as a designer and Lady Boss. I absolutely loved helping to bring her incredible designs to life and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

My (now) husband, Scott and I moved to Truckee in 2020 just before the pandemic. Between the move and lockdown, I decided to dive into remote work doing graphic and product design. I quickly realized I am not meant to sit in the house and look at a screen all day. I need to be out, connecting with my community and creating tangible beauty. So I got to work. The next thing I designed was my own logo and then my website. Fresh out of lockdown, I starting matching plants and pots in our living room and delivering them to neighbors around town. That turned into a pop-up on West River Street, which turned into farmers markets and other events through the summer. With winter around the corner, we took a big risk and decided to open a store font! Things went well and after 2 years, we tripped our footprint.

After 5 wonderful years as "Truckee's Plant Shop" - and more importantly - after having our first child, we decided to close down the retail side of the business. Now we're back to our roots, getting creative and sinking our teeth into fewer, but bigger projects. Thank you for being part of my journey. It means the world to me!

And remember… Plants Are Magical!