Online plant sellers are having a moment
When Danae Horst and her husband, Bill, owners of plant nursery Folia Collective in Los Angeles, looked around in March, “we thought we were done,” she says.
They feared for their livelihood at the beginning of the pandemic as shutdowns forced them to close their shop doors to walk-in customers and stop their in-home plant-styling consultations.
As of October, however, they’ve seen a 13 percent increase in sales over last year, even without those two major arms of their business, thanks to getting the plants onto the store’s ecommerce site right away.
“We probably quadrupled our average on-hand plant volume, and it still feels like we just cannot restock fast enough,” Horst says. “We have plants that sell out in five minutes.”
This year has seen a boom in bread-making, homeschooling, outdoor entertaining - and, it seems, plant sales.
“Anecdotally, I’ve heard about people who design gardens having sales double and triple this year,” says Chantal Aida Gordon, the author, along with Ryan Benoit, of the Los Angelesbased gardening blog Horticult and the book “How to Window Box.” “People just want their space to be verdant and vital, . . . whether it’s their inside office, adding houseplants, or their patio, keeping up their plants there.”
If you want to green up a thumb or two, try these nurseries and plant shops that deliver nationwide. Don’t forget your local nursery; many are starting to get in the delivery game, too. And if you’re looking for the right plants to start with, we asked Horst, Gordon and Heather Rodino, author of “How to Houseplant,” for some suggestions.
Where to shop
▶ Andy’s Orchids in Encinitas, Calif. Rodino is a fan of orchids, and Andy’s is one of her favorite places to look for them. Rodino loves having flowering houseplants indoors, and orchid blooms can last for months. Andy’s is good for mounted orchids, species orchids and miniatures, she says. Website: andysorchids.com.
▶ Annie’s Annuals and Perennials in Richmond, Calif. “Their website is very accessible and full of really fascinating plants,” Gordon says. “Their excitement and love and wonder of flowers, it’s infectious.” Although most plants are for outdoor gardening, the nursery sells succulents for inside, too. Plus, “they time when they send the plants out, so they won’t get stuck in the post office over the weekend,” she adds. Website: anniesannuals.com.
▶ Gabriella Plants in Oviedo, Fla. “They only sell online, they grow all of their own plants, [and] they have a huge selection of interesting things,” Horst says. The nursery ships directly from its warehouse. Website: gabriellaplants.com.
▶ J&L Orchids in Easton, Conn. J&L is another place Rodino turns to for orchids. “Every plant I’ve gotten from them has been excellent,” she says. Website: jlorchids.com.
▶ Logee’s in Danielson, Conn. For rarer plants, Gordon suggests Logee’s. Because the company specializes in tropical plants, many will thrive indoors. “They sell a good variety online, and they also sell plants for outdoor gardening as well,” Horst adds. Website: logees.com.
▶ Monrovia in Visalia, Calif. “They package their plants amazingly,” Gordon says. She recently ordered roses from the company, and “they arrived intact and they looked good.” Monrovia also has nurseries in Connecticut, Georgia and Oregon, and it sells houseplants and container-garden plants, as well as outdoor-garden-only plants. Website: monrovia.com.
▶ NSE Tropicals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. NSE specializes in “harder- tofind, more interesting tropical plants,” Horst says. Of its options, she says Philodendron bipennifolium and Rhaphidophora tetrasperma aren’t “super fussy.” But for those who want a challenge, she likes Alocasia reginula, Anthurium crystallinum and Philodendron gloriosum in its large, round form. Website: nsetropicals.com.