Green beauty trends boost market for indoor plants

Lucy Wairimu runs a houseplant business, Planty Kenya [File]

Plants and flowers bring aesthetic beauty and comfort to homes. They offer fresh air. Some plants naturally repel snakes among other pests.

Indoor plants have become popular among people in urban areas. Lucy Wairimu, who runs a houseplant business, Planty Kenya saw this as an opportunity to tap into to mint cash.

She is among many firms and individuals offering such businesses including Mandhari Plants and Designs, Herbivore Garden Centre, Urban Plants, Plants Galore Garden Centre, The Flower Factory Kenya, Garden World, Westlands Florist and Garden Centre, Bonsai Landscapers and Nurseries among others.

What started as Lucy Wairimu’s hobby for caring plants, is now a business that creates jobs, mints cash and leaves houses lively with fresh plants.

When Wairimu in one day picked succulents on the side of the road, no one would have thought it would later grow into a thriving business.

Lucy specialises in indoor plants which among others serve an aesthetic purpose.

Prior to this, Wairimu was exposed to artificial plants through her online décor store, from which she ploughed back capital to start her houseplants business.

The business became more prominent at the onset of the pandemic. “Most people were at home and more exposed to social media, so when they see decorative plants, they order them.”

According to Data Bridge Market Research, between 2021 and 2028, the indoor plants global market is expected to grow at 4.37 per cent.

She says they now depend on referral clients. “I think the plants have grown quite popular amongst people as we are getting return clients. Clients coming back for bigger plants is an indicator of the growing market.”

Starting up, Wairimu says capital was her biggest challenge. “We wanted to go big, but capital from my previous business was not that big. We wanted to venture into other towns. We actually hoped to tap into Mombasa but capital and starting a base there proved difficult.”

Based in Lavington, Nairobi, Wairimu says most of her clients are homeowners though, “anyone can have plants, even in the hostel”. “You can place it on your window seal because I think that’s how I started,” she says.

At the initial stage of her business, Wairimu says her husband had to step in to help perfect the vision of her business.

“We did most of our deliveries to Lavington, Kileleshwa and Kilimani. At that time we were in Tigoni, Limuru. It was difficult, and so my husband stepped in for four months to help me with the business.”

“I did a six-pack offer of succulents. The offer went very big and in a day, we would send out about 60 boxes,” Wairimu says one box of the offer was and still goes for Sh1,000.

According to Wairimu, if you are looking forward to growing your own plants, you need space - a greenhouse, pots and compost.

“Most people use the normal red soil which is not ideal for indoor plants,” she said, noting that one also needs a propagation plan and water because, for her, water is the main bill.

Indoor plants also need maintenance. Caring for them needs more effort.

“The plants need enough time, watering schedule and proportion must be accurate. Otherwise, plants might start having defects from overwatering or lack of enough light.”In a global report, the growth of the indoor plants market can be attributed to the increasing awareness regarding the benefits of indoor plants.

Indoor plants are not just for aesthetic purposes. “Lavender plant, for instance, is kept in the bedroom, for anyone with insomnia, sniffing this plant helps in regaining sleep. Catnip is used for medical purposes in cats. It is used to relax the cat. Also, typical spices can be grown in the house,” she explains.

Other indoor plants are aloe Vera, money plants, a string of hooks, a string of pearls, snake plants, palms and peace plants among others.