The Black Men Behind Social Media’s Great Gardening Explosion
The social trend is watering your timeline with much-needed tranquility
Nearly two years ago, Nelson ZêPequéno posted an Instagram video of himself transforming a cerulean Nintendo 64 controller into a planter for succulents. A childhood relic becoming an artful vessel for growth is a common theme in the artist’s work; he’s also transformed a rotary phone, a clock, and a record player into homes for his plants.
All are stunning sights to behold, but ZêPequéno wants the world to know that he’s not the only Black man with a green thumb. His most poignant work isn’t even on his personal account — it’s at Black Men With Gardens, where more than 65,000 followers marvel at not just massive thaumatophyllum or leaning cacti but also the men who care for them. On an app where aesthetically pleasing images are the primary focus, creators like ZêPequéno use the beauty of plants to create a dialogue that encourages wellness and personal growth.
Plant content has surged online amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with fear of food shortages spurring a vegetable-growing trend earlier this year. But ZêPequéno is part of a growing group of amateur horticulturists who have long been missing from the social media landscape. “These plant accounts would be so…
