Gale owns a local flower shop which also sells some house plants. The majority of her sales come from providing flowers for events and functions, and the houseplants are additional products that pair well with the rest of the business. Some of the houseplants she carries are sourced from larger distributers in Ontario, while most of them are shipped in from Florida. With the rising costs of shipping and additional import fees and longer wait times for receiving product, the consistency and availability of products is becoming more inconsistent.

The idea of buying some plants locally which are grown and sold in Canada would solve some issues with shipping from the USA. Additionally buying local is good for local businesses and the time from placing orders to receiving shipments is greatly reduced.

Manuell lives in his small downtown apartment with his cat George. There is very little space in his apartment that doesn’t have multiple houseplants. He loves how plants can change how a space can feel and the improvement in air quality.

As a professional interior designer by trade, Manuell often incorporates many houseplants in his designs for clients and the need of plants short notice. Sometimes finding the right plant can be an issue, and he’s always eager to source some local suppliers that could help fill those gaps in availability.