Creating a joyful community

The Pandemic was hard. I moved to Seattle from NY during the pandemic in 2021 and at that time it was still hard to meet people and make friends. One day, I came across @seattleplantstore and discovered that they were hosting a “Plant Swap Event.” At this event, I met many plant parents and I didn’t realize how much I was craving connection until I talked to them. I made new friends that day, and honestly I didn’t expect that. The event organizer Miles was working hard to create a joyful and welcoming event and I interviewed him about his plant swap event.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your business?
I am from Ohio and I’ve been in Seattle for 10 years, and started a plant shop about 5 years ago. I’ve always been interested in house plants since I was a little boy and I ended up going to school to study plant science and learn about horticulture and plant production in controlled environments.

I got into plant production and then worked at the Amazon at the Spheres. I also worked in cannabis production and about 5 years ago, I decided to start my plant shop. I really love plants and wanted to focus on sharing the love of that. I wanted to create a shop not only selling plants but also supporting people’s hobbies. That’s why we are doing workshops like making Terrariums and Kokedama.

What is a plant swap event?
A plant swap is where people come together and exchange plants. For example, I like to grow small plants into big plants and that’s sort of my joy. Once they get too big, I can cut this back and maybe give away cuttings, or I can just give the plant away. A plant swap is a great way to get a plant without paying money. It’s also a great way to get a plant that you might be nervous about spending money on because it’s tricky to care for. It is also a great opportunity to connect people and learn about new plants.

Why did you decide to host a plant swap event?
First of all, it is very popular. People really enjoy plant swap events. The last event we hosted in the bar next door. The bar just opened just over a year ago, we were able to collaborate with them to bring people in so their businesses as well, which is really nice for the community. it’s also a marketing opportunity for us. More and more people know that we’re here.We’re right outside of Seattle and it’s a good opportunity for people to learn about us and what we offer as well. The next one that’s coming up we have two vendors that are going to join us. It will be a very exciting and fun event.

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Learn more about Miles and upcoming events at The Plant Store in Seattle