People are buying more indoor plants, and new shops are getting into the business
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, homes have become offices and schools ,and in many cases greenhouses, if the blossoming popularity of houseplants is any indication. People are turning to plants as a mood lifter and stress reliever, according to a 2020 survey on the Stoneside website. Stoneside found that 54% bought plants as a distraction, 49% to “get more outdoor time” and 45% because buyers had extra time to fill. Several new small businesses in Milwaukee are selling plants, and at least one veteran small business is struggling to keep greenery in stock.
‘A little pick-me-up,’ Clover Milwaukee
Maggie Murphy and Sissy Butner in 2020 began Clover Milwaukee, which plans to open its new shop Feb. 5 at 2252 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Both were hit by the downturn in the restaurant industry (Murphy was bartending and Butner was the general manager of a downtown brewpub).
They, too, see the current plant love as a combination of more time at home and the need for a mood boost. “People who, like myself, lost their jobs or turned into full-time stay-at-home parents/pseudo
teachers definitely deserve a little pick-me-up — we all do,” Murphy said.
“Plants can bring that happy pop of color to cure the winter blues, and provide a new, cathartic routine to settle into — even with your household feeling hectic,“she said.
Since many people are spending more time at home, they have time to nurture houseplants that might otherwise be set aside and forgotten, Butner said.
See HOUSEPLANTS, Page 7E