The Return of the Houseplant

Good morning, Keith Ramsey with the garden supply company. I've got Shannon here this morning and wanted to ask her questions about what's trending and houseplants. She manages our houseplant department and garden supply company and does all our buying, and there's just been a massive growth in houseplants, Shannon.

What do you think made the house plant trend spike up? I think COVID had something to do with it. It drove people to be at home and stuck and want to bring some life into their home. It also brought in some people with more disposable income and this new generation.

Who is starting to like house plants? Millennials seem like they've picked up houseplants. It's a—resurgence of the [00:01:00] the sixties and seventies. I was a kid at that point, but that was a time when houseplants were just huge. Macrame hangers and pathos growing all over, you're taking over your house.

We're back to that scenario, especially with young kids. I couldn't agree more. And the macrome trend is also back for sure, but I see the pictures of the people, the customers home, and it is like a greenhouse. That's the thing that gets me most excited is big plant shelves and hanging plants in front of a window and just people's plant collection and how excited they are about their collection of plants.

It's been a lot of fun from my perspective as well. Not only these younger people are coming in and teaching them about. Plants and caring for them, but also people who never got into it are now adults and have started to pick enough house plans. Yeah. The thing that amazes me a lot about it is the rare and unusual house plant scenario, and it's, it's gone crazy.

It's unbelievable. Yeah. [00:02:00] We brought in last year, like that tie constellation and the pink princesses, and just the opportunity for people to come in and see them was exciting. So these are plants that nobody else has. In many cases, people haven't seen before they're plants that are newly developed or newly crossed plants.

And, the first one I purchased them hard to believe that we're buying a house plant for $800. And scary for me too. Yeah. And now we've, we've—two of those in the $500 price range. And of course, there's the same plant available for $10 without the variegation and its uniqueness as a first-time out-of-the-box plan.

So everybody can get into houseplants at any price range, but it is truly unique. We've started the rare and unusual plant collectors that are out there. Showcase those and bring in more as they become available from our growers, right in the center of the house plant section. We have a couple of tables that are really [00:03:00] featuring all those right now.

And every week we get more on different Fridays. The houseplants do we have currently are just unusual or newer. And you two of my favorite are both anther Rams right now. One is called the king Ethereum, where the leaves will bend forward a little bit. Become about three feet long.

There's also. Black cardboard and thorium are spectacular. The black heart-shaped leaf with white veining and even spikes flowers. That's awesome. We're partnering with a couple of other local garden centers as well, too. Be able to buy in more plants that are harder to get, that have to travel a long distance, or you have to buy larger quantities.

Go into a local garden center. Not necessarily just a garden supply company, but there are so many of them that are just amazing. Fairview Homewood garden. Logan's garden hut down in a few coy about finding these unusual plants that you're not going to find necessarily a box store or something like that.

Absolutely. We [00:04:00] have a couple of them that I have seen a little bit of. Big box stores that were unavailable to us were under trademark. And now we're starting to get some of those in the Ravens easy and that Claudia network. Yeah. Some of the larger, there's an extremely large grow

Episode Transcript

Keith (00:14):
Good morning, Keith Ramsey with garden supply company.
I've got Shannon here this morningand wanted to ask her questions about
what's trending and houseplants.
She manages our houseplant departmentand garden supply company and does
all our buying and there's just beena huge growth in houseplants Shannon.
What do you think made thehouse plant trend, spike up?

(00:36):
I think COVID definitelyhad something to do with it.
It drove people to be at homeand stuck and wanting to bring
some life into their home.
It also brought in some peoplewith more disposable income and
brought in this new generation.
Who are really startingto like house plants.
Millennials really seem likethey've picked up houseplants.

(00:57):
It's a.
Resurgence of the sixties and seventies.
I was a kid at that point, butthat was that was a time where
houseplants were just huge.
Macrame hangers and pathos growing allover, you're taking over your house.
It seems like we're back to thatscenario, especially with young kids.
I couldn't agree more.
And the macrome trend is also backfor sure, but I see the pictures

(01:18):
of the people, the customers home,and it is like a greenhouse..
That's the thing that gets me most excitedis, big plant shelves and hanging plants
in front of a window and, just people'splant collection and how excited they
are about their collection of plants.
It's really been a lot of funfrom my perspective as well.
Not only these younger peoplecoming in and teaching them about.

(01:39):
Plants and caring for them, butalso people who never got into
it and are now adults and havestarted to pick enough house plan.
Yeah.
the thing that amazes me a lot about it isthe rare and unusual house plant scenario
and the it's, it's really gone crazy.
It's unbelievable.
Yeah.

(02:00):
We've brought in last year, like thattie constellation and the pink princesses
and just the opportunity for people tocome in and see them was really exciting.
So these are plants that nobody else has.
In a lot of cases, people haven't seenbefore they're plants that are newly
developed or newly crossed plants.
And, the first one I purchasedthem hard to believe that we're
buying a house plant for $800.

(02:25):
And scary for me too.
Yeah.
And now we've, we've.
Two of those in the $500 price range.
And of course there's the same plantthat's available for $10 without the
variegation and the, the uniqueness ofit being, first time out of the box plan.
So everybody can get into houseplants atany price range, but it is truly amazing.

(02:46):
The rare and unusual plant collectorsthat are out there now we've started.
Showcase those and bring in more as theybecome available from our growers, right
in the center of the house plant section.
We have a couple of tables that arereally featuring all of those right now.
And every week we getmore in different Fridays.
The houseplants do we have in currentlythat are just unusual or newer.

(03:09):
And you two of my favorite areboth anther Rams right now.
There's one called the king Ethereumwhere the leaves will actually
bend forward a little bit and.
Become about three feet long.
There's also.
Black cardboard andthorium is spectacular.
The black heart shaped leaf with a whiteveining and it even spikes flowers.

(03:29):
That's awesome.
We're partnering with a couple otherlocal garden centers as well, too.
Be able to buy in more plants thatare harder to get, , that have to
travel a longer distance or youhave to buy larger quantities.
Go into a local garden center.
Not necessarily just garden supplycompany, but there's so many of them
out there that are just amazing.
Absolutely Fairview Homewood garden.

(03:50):
Logan's garden hut down in a few coyto find these unusual plants that
you're not gonna find it necessarilya box store or something like that.
Absolutely.
We do have a couple of them thatI have seen a little bit of.
Big box stores that were unavailableto us, they were under trademark.
And now we're starting to getsome of those in the Ravens
easy and that Claudia network.

(04:12):
Yeah.
Some of the larger, there's a anextremely large grower in the states
and is actually rolling out someunusual plants to to box stores.
And they're a little bitharder for us to get, so it's a
little bit of a change of pace.
They're there, they're growingthem specifically for them.
So it's a little bit harder to chase that.
Definitely.
What about care for somebody that doesn'thave that hasn't had houseplants before

(04:35):
knowing what the light condition is orbringing in pictures really helps us
get a sense of what is considered brightlight to them, or medium light, low light.
There are low light plants thatcan tolerate bright light and will
really thrive in bright light,but bright light plants need.
Or need bright light.
But watering is probably the numberone issue I see with our customers

(04:57):
who have issues with their plants.
too much love.
. Babying it just a little bit too much,instead of letting it dry out in between
those waterings, they want to water alittle bit every day or every other day.
Yeah.
The thing that I think that'sinteresting as, when a plant looks
dry, if you're looking at the soiland it looks dry on the surface, if
you push your finger into the soil,you can push it in a half an inch and
all of a sudden you can feel moisture.

(05:19):
And so the plant reallydoesn't need any water yet.
And, but people are watering them.
I like to explain to people how tojust lift up the plant in the grower.
So they can feel the bottom,the holes, of course.
And then also just theweight of it, right?
Yeah.
I always tell people the wateron a weekly basis, pick your day.
If you're off on Sunday and Sundayis a day, you spend time around

(05:39):
the house just to water, try towater consistently on the same day.
And that way, it's either a littleteeny, a few drops of water or maybe no
water at all, or, a good in good, heavywatering if a plant's really dried out.
So yeah.
It'll make it to the next week.
Absolutely.
And then when you're lettingit dry out, that's decreasing
your odds of fungal gnats.
Exactly.

(06:00):
And basically when a plant's overwatered,it's just not getting enough oxygen.
So if it's sitting in water, it'sbasically like smothering the planet,
just doesn't get the oxygen it needs.
And without the oxygen,it can't take up water.
So it does.
Letting a, plant's not going todry out as fast in the house, so
it's just a check that with yourfinger almost as he, are lifted up,
like you said, that's a great idea.