Trent Davis: Virginia Succulent Gardener

Most of the time when we talk about cacti, we’re taking a look at a Southwestern garden out in the arid desert. But Trent Davis has brought the desert to his home in Blacksburg, Virginia. When he’s not acting as coordinator for animal therapy at Virginia Tech alongside his dog Derek, he’s tending to the succulents in his home garden.

“The neat thing is I've got so many projects here, so many new spaces, old spaces to keep up and plant new things when something dies. I recycle that plant and you know, put it into the mulch and then we plant a new one and we try that.”

Even though Trent’s mother had quite the green thumb, his passion for plants didn’t click until he brought his first cactus home.

“And it's become a mild obsession or more than a mild obsession at times, some would argue. It just…evolved and maybe that part of me, that gene that my mom had came out.”

Even though Virginia has a unique enough climate to sustain these desert plants, it’s still a challenge for Trent trying to figure out what works best. Some suggest he move to where it would be easier to care for his favorite plants, but he enjoys the rewards that grow from his hard work.

“What fun would that be? Everybody grows boxwood around here. So I want to try these different things…The fact that they're odd like me makes me feel special.”

A film by Joshua Wingard. 

Produced by Kendahl Huber.