How We Ended Up With 100+ Plants on a Bus
We live in a 200 sq ft bus… and somehow turned it into a rolling jungle with over 100 plants.
This was not the plan.
I brought two plants on board.
Then we added a few more because we wanted the bus to feel homey. Then we found a few more at a nursery we were “just browsing,” which is the plant equivalent of going to the pound to look at dogs. Then we needed shelves — except in a bus, random shelves are not exactly practical.
We tried hanging plants first. Then we moved, and they all became pendulums.
So we switched to hose clamps, which worked great… until we realized they were getting expensive. Then Zach had a thrift-store epiphany, and leather belts became plant hangers. Lots of leather belts.
We now have a full bathroom plant wall.
Plants in windows. Plants in belt loops. Plants basically everywhere.
At some point, this stopped being a hobby and became a full-blown situation. We live in a tiny rolling jungle with six cats, three dogs, and enough greenery that Tetris is no longer a game — it’s a survival skill.
Plants on a Bus: What the Kitchen Looks Like Now
The sink side of the bus is where it becomes very obvious that this may have gotten slightly out of hand.
This window started as our herb garden. Turns out, herbs are a little dramatic in our setup — except Cuban Oregano, who is absolutely thriving, and our green onions, who apparently refuse to die.
Pothos have no respect for boundaries, herbs do whatever they want, and at some point we stopped arranging plants and started negotiating with them.
The Other Side: Different Light, Different Plants on a Bus
The opposite side gets better morning light, so that’s where the sun worshippers and attention seekers live.
It’s also prime cat territory, which means only certain plants survive over here. We learned quickly that cats do not care about spikes, deterrents, or logic. A cactus is apparently just a challenge.
The truly cat-free spots are reserved for babies, propagations, sick plants, and the ones we are aggressively trying to resurrect. Fresh cuttings, tiny seedlings, suspicious stems — this is the unofficial nursery.
Some thrive. Some don’t. When they don’t, we usually just try again with more moss and questionable confidence.
Stick, Stupids: The Rescue Operation
At some point, Zach started handing me sticks.
Not plants. Not healthy cuttings. Just… sticks. Leafless stems with little optimism and a concerning amount of trust.
And all I can really say is: “Stick, stupid.”
So begins the Stick, Stupids era. Some go in water. Some go in moss. Some go straight into dirt. Then we wait, hope, and try not to get emotionally attached.
Against all logic, a surprising number of them actually survive.
I don’t know if that’s skill or stubbornness, but at this point, I’m not asking questions.
The Green Onion Situation
We bought green onions like normal people.
Then Wes laid on them.
At that point, cooking with them felt questionable, so I tossed them in a mason jar with moss, added water, stuck them in the kitchen window… and forgot about them.
When I remembered, they had become a full-blown root jungle.
We didn’t grow green onions. We accidentally created an ecosystem.
Zach’s Plant Zones
Zach’s plants operate on their own system.
He leans dramatic. Hoyas. Big personalities. Plants that either thrive immediately or enter a dramatic leaf-dropping phase.
I respect his zones, even if I occasionally have to add “Water Plants – Zone Zach” to my to-do list.
What the Cats Have Done
Having 100+ plants on a bus is one thing.
Having 100+ plants on a bus with six cats is chaos.
Cats do not see plants as décor. They see snacks, toys, obstacles, and personal challenges.
We’ve tried cat-safe plants. Spiky plants. Aloe. Cactus after cactus after spiky-ass cactus.
No match.
There are bite marks. Dirt explosions. Casual destruction. Pikle remains a menace.
Why We Keep Doing This
Truthfully? It makes the bus feel like home.
The air feels fresher. The space feels alive. Wood walls are nice, but plants make it ours.
Also… yes, air quality. That’s our story and we’re sticking with it.
If you are new to plants, please do not let this inspire you to immediately buy 100. Start with one. Maybe two. Work your way up before you accidentally build a rolling jungle.
And Then We Added Herbs Outside
Because apparently 100+ indoor plants was not enough, we also added herbs to the back deck.
Some are thriving. Some are recovering. Some had brief, dramatic careers.
That chaos honestly deserves its own post.
Final Thoughts From the Rolling Jungle
We never meant to become plant people.
We definitely didn’t mean to become the kind of people who track sunbeams, debate moss versus water, and justify buying “just one more” because technically we don’t already own that exact variety.
And yet… here we are.
200 square feet. Over 100 plants. Six cats. Three dogs. A leather belt plant wall. A suspicious number of hoyas. And an ongoing willingness to stick questionable stems into moss and hope for the best.
Honestly? We’ve made peace with it.
Not everyone wants to keep 100 plants alive — completely understandable.
If you’d rather admire incredible greenery without accidentally creating your own propagation station, we highly recommend Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa and the Papilion at Honor Heights Park in Oklahoma.
All the beauty. None of the Stick, Stupids. 🌿