That Green Thumb: The Brilliant Botanist
Name: Dr. Lionel Potter
Occupations: Gardener, botanist, Professor of Botanical Sciences
Born: January 7, 1900, in Providence, RI, US
Died: April 28, 1985, in Denver, CO, US
Spouse: None
Children: None
Favorite Food: Garden salad
Hobbies: Writing in a journal, going for nature walks
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"Plants have fascinated me from the time I was a boy—especially the big ones."
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Dr. Potter, first name Lionel, was born in Providence, Rhode Island on January 7, 1900. The son of florists, he grew up around plants of all shapes, sizes and colors, but those which attracted Lionel were the big, long and thick plants. He vowed that when he grew up, he'd find a way to grow the largest plants the world had ever seen.
In 1918, Lionel graduated from Harvard, having majored in Botanical Sciences. Four years later, he earned his doctorate. In 1927, he settled in New Hampshire, setting up a lab and a greenhouse where he could make his own discoveries about plants.
Twenty years later, Dr. Potter shifted his focus toward carnivorous plants and began researching ways to breed the perfect one. Also during this time, he began teaching Botanical Sciences at his alma mater, setting up smaller labs and greenhouses where students could grow and tend to their own plants. He gave his students keys, and later passcodes, so that they could access his greenhouse outside of class hours.
Regularly, Dr. Potter shared his findings with the scientific community, regaling them with images of imposingly large Venus flytraps, thick vines, large, juicy fruits and giant, vibrantly-colored flowers. He published several volumes worth of observations throughout his lifetime and set up more labs and greenhouses all over the continental United States.
In the summer of 1965, Dr. Potter retired and moved to Denver, Colorado to live out his twilight years, save for the occasional lecture tour. He organized plant sales at least once a month and was known to give free seed packets to neighborhood kids. When he died of natural causes on April 28, 1985, he was surrounded by florid wonders.
After 85 years on Earth, Dr. Potter began life anew as a ghost, visiting abandoned greenhouses and restoring them to their former glory with his trusty watering can. He planned to start a traveling plant exhibition, but a chance meeting with Hellen Gravely brought those plans to a halt. She made the seventh floor of her hotel into his playground, dubbing it "The Garden Suites". However, this wasn't merely out of the kindness of her heart. She reasoned that if the other ghosts couldn't stop Luigi, then Dr. Potter's creations surely would.
Ultimately, Hellen was proven wrong. When Luigi arrived at the Garden Suites, Dr. Potter played a game of cat and mouse with him, with an elevator button as a prize. He grew such obstacles as plants spitting out gigantic pineapples and grabbing, squeezing vines, but thanks to Gooigi and Polterpup, Luigi made it past them all with several cuts and scratches. For the finale, Dr. Potter attacked Luigi with a fearsome carnivorous plant, which he lovingly named Audrey. Luigi responded with a buzzsaw he found nearby, and after a heart-racing battle, he subdued the hungry plant and captured Dr. Potter. Audrey had gotten in some good bites, however, requiring Gooigi to patch up his companion before they continued on their way.
After the adventure had concluded and King Boo and Hellen were sent where they belonged, Dr. Potter apologized to Luigi for siccing Audrey on him. While helping rebuild the hotel, he cultivated a version of Audrey which was tamer and had a cuter appearance. Fortunately for both of them, Luigi was a forgiving soul.
When the new hotel opened its doors, Dr. Potter invited guests to explore the botanical gardens located on the eleventh floor. The star attraction, of course, was Audrey. Today, Dr. Potter lovingly tends to these botanical gardens, which generate pretty high revenue.