Spring has arrived early at Wild Willy’s plant store. Tulips, begonias, succulents, and even the odd allocatia greet you with their lush foliage and fragrant, delicate scent as you walk in its doors.
The Wellington West business has been a staple in the community since 1975 and is in the midst of celebrating its 50th anniversary. Part of their success? People never get tired of purchasing flowers or house plants.
“Plants were a very big trend in the 70s and then it went into flower arrangements , silks and dry, and now it’s gone back to plants and fresh. But dries are back in style too,” said Vanessa Bishop who has owned the store for the last 10 years. “People love plants because of the simplicity of life they bring. If you have a blank canvas and bring a plant into a room, it makes the room come alive. They are affordable and give back. If you care for the plant it does too, but if you don’t it doesn’t. They are like humans in that way.”
Owning plants is also rising in popularity thanks to booming trends on social media. Scroll through Tik Tok or Facebook reels and you will find influencers sharing their rare garden centre finds. For those who are really committed to the addictive hobby, there are IKEA cabinets some people repurpose or retrofit them to turn into mini greenhouses.
But seeing a pretty plant on social media doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you. They are living things like people that can be picky and not adapt well to certain conditions.
Plant and Curio first opened its doors on Somerset in 2017, and moved to its Little Italy storefront in 2019. Owner Leslie MacDonald said there are many questions they will ask first-time plant parents.
“If someone came in and wanted to get into house plants for the first time, instead of something like a monstera, a fiddle leaf fig, or different kinds of ficus trees — those are species people might have read about and want — we might start them off with an easier plant,” said MacDonald. “We will ask what are the living conditions like? What direction do the windows face? Do they own pets? That’s an important question because many plants can be toxic.”
Plant and Curio opened near Centretown because it’s where MacDonald has lived since she was 17. The neighbourhood has many people living in a small area. There are few trees or parks. People need to find ways to bring greenery into their lives.
“Gardening and house plants are very therapeutic, especially when you’re living in a downtown area,” says MacDonald. “People are living in small apartments with small square footage. They might not have backyards.”
While winter can be a slow season for business because there are fewer occasions besides Valentine’s Day, Bishop from Wild Willys said they have many clients who come in during the colder months to help avoid the winter blues.
Lots of the house plants she offers are not native to this region and grow in tropical settings. In years past many would be considered ‘rare’ and more expensive because they were difficult to find, but those trends are changing.
“We have one plant, the Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’, they used to be $100 or $150 for a little plant, but now they’ve gone down in price and are like $75. They will keep going down,” said Bishop. “The Pink Princess is $30 which might sound like a lot, but it used to be about $100. They were harder to find. I just sold two that were triple the size and they were only $50. It all comes down to demand.”
To add to the plant experience, both local plant stores also offer other services. Wild Willy’s hosts classes to make holiday arrangements and dried floral pieces. Plant and Curio make their own pottery for pots. One of its most famous designs is of a neighbourhood cat who regularly frequents the store.
“During the pandemic there was a time when a lot of our suppliers were not able to supply to us so we went to pottery classes and now I make a good portion of the pottery we sell,” said MacDonald. “Because I make it I can make pots and things that are purposeful towards plants because we know what they need and what customers ask for.”
The store also supports other locally-owned businesses which include: stickers, soap, candles, self care products and greeting cards.
