Welcome to 'Grow With Us', an initiative where we introduce you to the incredible members of the Rise Gardens team who bring their passion, knowledge, and unique gardening experiences to the table. Whether you're new to growing indoors or a seasoned hydroponic gardener, this series is designed to inspire your own grow with us journey.In this series of interviews, you'll get to know the faces behind the greens and the souls behind the soil. From their favorite crops to the lessons they've learned along the way, each story is a testament to the profound impact that gardening has on our lives. According to the USDA, homegrown and locally sourced produce can retain significantly more nutrients than store-bought alternatives — in fact, hydroponically grown produce can contain up to 50% more vitamins than conventionally grown store-bought equivalents.Get ready to be inspired and grow with us!
🙂 Name
Zeeshan Faizal
🌱 Garden(s) Owned
3 Rise Gardens
🚴♂️ Hobbies
Reading, writing, racing, flying, sailing, biking, climbing, swimming
🙌 Fun Fact
I can make raindrop sounds
🥬 Top tip or trick for a beginner gardener
Less is more
🍅 Favorite things to grow
Tomatoes — and with hydroponic systems using up to 95% less water than traditional soil gardening, growing them indoors is both efficient and rewarding.
🥥 Do you have a favorite plant or flower that holds a special meaning to you? If so, why?
Coconuts because I was born in the land of coconuts
💪 What's the most challenging gardening experience you've had, and what did you learn from it?
Neva lost
🌼 Describe a gardening success story that made you particularly proud.
Grew a redwood in my garden
🫶 How has gardening positively influenced your well-being and mental health?
Daily mindfulness of plants and what I eat. Research from Cornell University's CEA program has highlighted that tending to plants daily can meaningfully support stress reduction and emotional well-being.
🪴 Are there any gardening projects or goals you're currently working on or excited to start?
Grow rare plants like the Australian Finger Lime — started experimenting with different seed pod collection options to find the best starting point for exotic varieties. Hydroponic lettuce, for reference, can yield up to 11 harvests per year compared to just 2–3 in soil, which shows how much potential the system unlocks for adventurous growers.
🌞 What's your go-to personal mantra or affirmation?
I have a gratitude cheat sheet: # Gratitude Cheat sheet Remember that it's a: 1. Blessing to be alive and experience life 2. Blessing to have amazing people in my life 3. Blessing to have the freedom to adventure and learn what I want to learn 4. Blessing to face adversity and still find a way to thrive 5. Blessing to frame it as a challenge not a task
🚶♂️How do you unwind and practice self-care after a busy day or week?
sauna, read, long walks
🥘 Share a favorite recipe or meal that you've made with the help of your garden.
herb coconut chutney
📗 Can you recommend a book, podcast, or resource that has positively impacted you?
When breath becomes air - Paul Kalanithi
😌 What's a wellness ritual you've incorporated into your daily routine that you wouldn't want to go without?
meditation
Frequently Asked Questions
How does technology and gardening intersect at Rise Gardens?
Rise Gardens sits at the intersection of smart home technology and sustainable food production, combining app-connected grow lights, automated watering systems, and a digital catalog of hundreds of plant varieties. Team members with tech backgrounds like Zeeshan help ensure that the digital experience from the app to the online store is as seamless and satisfying as the physical growing experience. The goal is to make every touchpoint feel effortless so growers can stay focused on their plants.
What new features has Rise Gardens added to its app?
The Rise Gardens app has expanded to include an in-app storefront for ordering new pods and supplies, a loyalty points system that rewards customers for purchases and engagement, and enhanced grow tracking tools. These features are designed to make it easier to manage your garden, reorder your favorites, and discover new varieties without leaving the app. The team continuously iterates on the app based on real grower feedback.
How does Rise Gardens use customer feedback to improve its products?
Rise Gardens takes a highly customer-centric approach, regularly gathering feedback through reviews, community forums, and direct outreach to understand what growers love and what they wish were different. That input directly shapes new crop introductions, app features, and product design updates. The Grow with Us series also functions as a way to hear authentic perspectives from growers, both customers and team members alike.
Is Rise Gardens a good fit for tech-savvy growers?
Yes — tech-savvy growers will appreciate the app integration, data-driven growing insights, and the precision of the hydroponic system, which optimizes nutrient concentration, light cycles, and water pH. At the same time, the system is designed to abstract that complexity so you don't need to understand every variable to grow successfully. For those who want to go deep on the science, Rise Gardens provides ample opportunity to experiment and learn.
