Help The Plant Store Land in Capitol Hill.

Ending July 31st.

UPDATE for REWARDS!

Please scroll past rewards section to view our whole story!

Im updating to include rewards for donations one we open. Please read on how to redeem these rewards! Also, if you already donated you can still redeem! More information below rewards list.

DONATION REWARDS:

$10+ Sticker and 2in Plant.

$20+ 4in Plant and Sticker.

$35+ 4in Plant in Ceramic Pot and Sticker.

$50+ Plant Store T-Shirt, and Sticker.

$75+ Plant Store T-Shirt 4in plant, and Sticker.

$100+ Any Workshop for 1 and Sticker.

$200+ Any Workshop for 2 and 2 Stickers.

$500+ 1 Hour in-home plant consultation with Miles, Workshop for 2, and Stickers.

$1000+ Group Workshop for up to 12 people with Snacks and Drinks.

PLUS, 1 Hour in-home plant consultation for yourself or to gift someone.

Please note: Due to the fact that some rewards may only be redeemed in person, we are open to substitution for other items. If you are out of town please contact us so we can figure out how to get some goodies to you! We cannot ship plants larger than 4in or ceramics.

HOW TO REDEEM:

These rewards are open to all previous and future donations. Please send us a screen shot of your email or confirmation page of the donation. Anonymous donators may also redeem their rewards in this way. Rewards may be redeemed 1 month after we have opened our physical location. Please expect a few weeks for delivery if items need to be shipped.

Terms and Conditions:

Rewards are not transferable but please contact us with any requests. Rewards do not have any cash value. All rewards must be redeemed within 1 year of our opening date. If there is any reason that rewards cannot be redeemed within 1 year, please contact us. For legal reasons, these rewards cannot be guaranteed and substitutions may be made at our discretion.

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The Plant Store is coming back but we need your help to get back on our feet.

Hi! I'm Miles and I'm the owner of The Plant Store. I'd like to share a bit about our history, where we are currently, our vision for the future, and why we need your help!

(If we’re already bffs, feel free to skip to our vision and why we need your help!)

A Brief History:

I started The Plant Store back in 2018 as a tiny 350 square foot, corner shop in the White Center neighborhood of Seattle. It was always my dream to share my passion for plants with people and this was finally a way for me to do that! Thankfully, plants were a hit at the time and the hobby was growing! (pun intended) When the pandemic started in early 2020 I thought that it might all be over for us. We barely had a website and all in-person shopping was suspended. Thankfully I was able to build our shop online and start selling. For a time of about 3-4 months we were only shipping plants and diligently packing over 100 orders a week! I typically had to stay very late to pack every order the day before shipping but it was worth it to load up a cart and deliver them all to the post office the next day! The best part was watching all of the unpacking videos and positive reviews for our plants. Even though we were unable to see everyone in person, we were still able to brighten people’s days while we all stayed inside.

In late 2021, still in the middle of the pandemic, we moved the shop into a larger space in the same neighborhood. This larger space allowed us to have more shoppers in the store at the same time (restrictions still in effect), as well as carry more plant related products from local and independent vendors. I am so proud to say that we have worked with over 80 independent makers and artists during our time in that space. When our customers supported us, they were also supporting all of these makers too. As time went by we were able to allow more and more people into the shop at a time and eventually we were able to start classes again. Our classes and workshops were a special time for us to work more closely with our community to build fun, cute, and functional plant-y creations such as kokedama, miniature aquascapes, and terrariums with a hardy education on how to care for them. If you ever came to a class you know how I can get a little long-winded about my love for moss or lichens.

By the end of the summer in 2023 plant sales over-all had slowed. Business was still good for us but fewer people were buying plants so we had to make a few changes. Primarily, we focused on terrarium products, which were starting to become very popular, and increasing our offering of classes. Our terrarium products sold great and all of our classes were selling out! Unfortunately, at the same time, I started experiencing many personal issues that took me away from being able to work and lead classes. As the year came to an end, I made the very difficult decision to close the shop to take some very much needed time for myself.

Where We Are Now:

As I mentioned in the previous section, I needed to close the shop due to a combination of factors but primarily for personal reasons. If you have followed us in the past you know I do not shy away from highlighting mental health and how it is important to share candid stories and promote positivity on social media. At the shop we gave out free roses nearly every weekend to give people a little lift in their day. Our accompanying sign for the roses read, “Yes, you deserve a rose, you deserve to feel good about yourself.” It was always such a joy to share those roses with everyone. Seeing someone’s face light up when we would offer them a rose, whether they made a purchase or not, made it worth it.

Personally, I got to a point in my life where I needed a bit more than roses to feel healthy again. I will spare most of the details but my personal life was falling apart and my anxiety was starting to develop into panic attacks again. It was becoming hard for me to leave my home and sometimes, even, my bed. Fortunately, I was able to get help via therapy, hospitalization, and medication to get back on track. I am not ashamed to share that about me because that is life. That is real life and the reality for people sometimes. So, if you have made it this far into reading, I hope you know that it’s okay to ask for help if you need it. We ALL need it at some point.

Back to the shop, I never deactivated our social media because I knew I wanted to keep the dream of reopening alive. I moved to a new neighborhood, Capitol Hill, and realized that there were few options now for plant shopping. Many businesses in this area had a rough time during the pandemic and are only now starting to make a comeback.

And so, I dusted off the instagram page and started looking for a suitable location and gauging interest.

Our Vision For The Future:

We are on the hunt for the perfect spot in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle to re-open The Plant Store! Our goal is to incorporate the same elements as we’ve always had such as quality plants at fair prices, pottery, soil and supplies, and other items from local and independent makers. We will also be bringing back a full line-up of informative classes and creative workshops. In the right space, size permitting, we plan to feature, on a rotating basis, local artists and pop-up events to help promote other entrepreneurs in our community. We are plants, but we are more than that.. By integrating events such as poetry readings, guest workshops and lectures, and other local interests, we hope to, not only be a shop, but a resource for our community and gathering place.

Why We Need You Help:

We have been out of the business for a minute and are seeking help from our community so that we can get to work serving you! We run a tight ship and I, Miles, do nearly everything that needs to get done to get things up and running smoothly. We do not outsource any of the administrative functions such as bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, etc. With the funds that we collect, we will be able to secure our location (probably the largest expense with deposit, etc), and start the build-out process. We’ve mostly been looking at locations that will require a minimal amount of build out to save money. The rest of the funds collected will go to furnishing the shop with inventory and supplies. We pride ourselves, really, on being low-frills. We want to create a beautiful space but also to keep it accessible and welcoming to all that enter.

Thank you for your consideration in giving to our venture and community project.

Help us bring back the plants to the people and share in education, mental health advocacy, and a place for everyone to exist as themselves.

Love Plants; Love Each Other.