Joanna Gaines has taken on a new role since her eldest daughter, Ella, left the nest for her first year of college.
“When Ella went off to college, I became the caretaker of her plant babies,” Gaines captioned a recent Instagram video of her 18-year-old’s dreamy bedroom, which is covered with potted plants on nearly every surface. “I hope these pretty plants like me as much as they liked her!🤞🧚😅#plantlady.”
Fans praised Gaines’ upkeep of Ella’s plants in the post’s comments, with one user writing, “She took such great care of them! You will do a great job!!!❤️.” Another person commented, “That’s so beautiful!!!! I know that’s fresh air, peace and harmony all up and through that space. ❤️❤️.”
“I got a little emotional watching this and don’t even know you. Lol,” one sentimental fan posted. “I remember seeing her follow you around a plant garden like a little duckling and grow to love plants like you and your sister. This is beautiful.”
Someone else said they hoped Ella is “studying botany or horticulture because that girl has a gift!”
Ella is the second eldest of Joanna and her husband Chip Gaines‘ five children, including Drake, 20, Duke, 17, Emmie, 15, and Crew, 7. She is reportedly studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City, far away from the family’s home in Waco, Texas. Drake, meanwhile, goes to school in his home state at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Ahead of the school year, Joanna shared a glimpse at her family’s “last dinner together” via Instagram on August 9. “Thankful for the group hug and all the puppies to help me work through my wide range of emotions,” she wrote alongside footage of them cooking pizzas in an outdoor oven, eating together at the dinner table, and sharing a sweet family hug outside. “And also Crew’s motor bike, it made me feel like a kid again ☺️. I love you kids so much 🩵.”
A few days later, Joanna posted an Instagram photo of Ella’s suitcase, backpack, and cow stuffed animal sitting at the bottom of a staircase as she prepared to travel to school. “Our little girl, all grown up. ✨🙏🏼🥹#headedtocollege,” Joanna captioned the August 14 snap.
During an August 19 appearance on Today, Joanna shared that Ella going away to college felt “different” than Drake returning to school, explaining, “She went further and she’s my girl. So, I thought, ‘Oh, I have this down with Drake. I already know.’ It’s totally different.”
Courtesy of Joanna Gaines/Instagram
When asked by Today‘s Savannah Guthrie if Ella will have “the most tricked-out dorm room ever,” Joanna revealed that she let her daughter take the reins with her room makeover.
“She is very into design, and she has her own unique style. So, I stepped back and was like, ‘You show me what [you want],’” Joanna said. “And I let her do the whole thing, so it was really what she wanted.”