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Connie Hom, the founder and president of the interior landscape firm Buckingham Greenery
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Holiday tradition: “I always go to Christmas Eve Mass at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Highland Park,” Hom says. “For me, it’s a joy to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.”
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Holiday tree: Frasier fir. “I love the rich color,” Hom says. “I usually try to get the most blue-green one I can find.”
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Local holiday site: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “They do an amazing job of decorating, especially inside the conservatory,” she says. “Their Christmas cactuses are just beautiful.”
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Holiday plant: Poinsettia. “I love all the colors and different varieties,” Hom says. “I use them to decorate the living plant wall in my home each year.”
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Holiday treat: Buche de Noel, a chocolate yule-log-shaped cake traditionally served in Europe. “They’re so delicious but very hard to find in the U.S.,” Hom says. “I hope to get one this year.”
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Holiday activity: Hom loves celebrating with friends. “I enjoy getting together to celebrate the season, whether it’s going on a RVA Tacky Lights tour or seeing the tree at The Jefferson Hotel.”
Love and respect for plants is part of Connie Hom’s DNA. The daughter of New Jersey vegetable farmers, Hom carried her childhood passion into adulthood, choosing to fill her post-college apartment’s sun porch with more plants than furniture. After participating in an interior landscaping program at the New York Botanical Garden, she had an epiphany. “I realized I could have a profession doing what I love,” she says.
In 1982, Hom founded Buckingham Greenery, offering interior landscape consultations, specifications and design for commercial spaces in Richmond and around Central Virginia. It didn’t take long to land her first client: After contacting the Yellow Pages to place an advertisement for her new company, Hom sold them on the need for plants in their office reception area.
Today, Hom’s clients range from Fortune 500 companies to regional health-care facilities to national retail chains. At Dominion Payroll’s headquarters in Scott’s Addition, Hom and her team designed a modern “plantscape” using white Strelitzia (bird of paradise). Recently, Buckingham Greenery installed a plant garden in Altria Group Inc.’s newly expanded and renovated Henrico County headquarters building.
Given the increase in people working from home during the pandemic, Hom says it’s now more important than ever to recognize the health benefits of having living plants in your workspace. “Plants do more than sit and look pretty — they’re natural humidifiers,” she says. “They exchange carbon monoxide and oxygen, helping to get rid of airborne toxins. As industry experts, we want people to know this so they can be healthier and more productive.”
The holiday season is a busy time at Buckingham Greenery, as the firm provides hundreds of decorated trees, wreaths, garlands and themed displays for clients, transforming their spaces into holiday delights. In fact, Hom’s team refers to their Richmond office as “Christmas headquarters” during this festive time, due to the abundance of holiday greenery housed in their warehouse. “We have a fabulous team, and I’m grateful every year for their efficiency and creativity,” Hom says.
