Dear plant lovers,
The text below is a transcript of a reel from Caroline Weaver of The Locavore NYC, a local and independent business based in New York. During her years as a shopkeeper, Caroline yearned for a resource to help others understand what it actually means to “shop small” and to share information about why it’s better for everyone. In a world of algorithms and convenience, most of us have lost touch with the ways in which shopping acts as a gateway for community building.
On Friday, February 28 there’s a huge nationwide boycott of large corporate brands and retailers that are contributing to big systemic issues that plague our times, especially ones that have rolled back DEI programs recently. It’s led by the People’s Union USA, and the whole point is to demonstrate how much power we have when it comes to how we spend our money.
Boycotts like this typically don’t have huge long term economic impacts on the entities they’re against, but what they can do, is signal that as consumers, we have a choice where we put our money, and those choices have more of an impact than we realize.
So, why don’t we all instead, tomorrow, spend money with businesses that are actually doing good in the world, like the local and independent businesses that add real and tangible value to our community.
Do you think your money is better spent with a shop owner who says good morning and knows your kid’s name? Or with Jeff Bezos. I’ll let you answer that question.
But, the moral of the story is: we have the power to shape our society through our consumer choices. So, let’s do better, not just tomorrow, but every day.
Caroline so perfectly captured the words I’ve been struggling to find and share with you in this moment. I’ve started and stopped and revised this note ten times over already.
I know it’s scary out there right now, but we need you to keep showing up for us, and that goes for any and every local and independent business you love. The businesses that, as Caroline describes, add real and tangible value to our community.
Owning a business is not for the faint of heart. It’s a constant dance, except the music keeps changing, there’s trap doors and booby traps in the floors and walls, and we’re dodging boulders and putting out fires – all while trying to dance our best tango-disco-two-step-shuffle-slide-boogie. But, if this is all we focus on, it will continue to remain our reality.
In this spirit, I’m choosing instead to focus on the hope: the good that we bring to this world and our community. I’ve already alluded in previous notes to the many, many things we’ve been working on over the winter, things I am so excited to share with you. (Soon!)
In many ways, these things feel like Botany is “coming of age” as we manifest into the business I’ve always dreamed we could be: one that builds neighborhoods, lifts up neighbors, and connects people to one another, all by empowering more people to grow more plants in more places.
Plant lovers absolutely can and will save the world. I continue to believe this, to place my hope and faith in this, and to pursue it with every ounce of strength I possess.
But, we can’t do it alone. As I’ve said from the start: it takes a village. When you pour your energy and treasure in to us, we see and feel and honor that by continuing to show up for you in return as we host community events and markets, cultivate new public gardens, host creative and informational classes and workshops, and so much more.
Ultimately, we just want to give you one more reason to be proud to call this place home.
It’s that simple.
Neighbors, friends, and fellow plant lovers: if you value the community we’re working to build with you, I hope you’ll continue to make the conscious choice to invest your dollars here, at home.
I’m going to leave you with a final call to action and an invitation. Last week, I shared that our spring presale would soon be live. We had planned to launch it next week, and in an unexpected turn of events we’re actually running ahead of schedule. So, we’ve decided to share it early.
This year’s presale is gearing up to celebrate the grand opening of The Lot Next Door, the new outdoor space we’ve been working so hard to grow and create for the past four years. Our Season Opener is coming up April 26-27 – save the date!
As with past presales, we’re featuring some of our favorite native trees and shrubs, and we’ve added some new selections that I can’t wait for you to discover, like Passion Flower and Snowberry.
New this year, we’ve also curated a small selection of some of our favorite, high-quality tools – tools that will last for generations if cared for properly. We’ve never offered these before, and I can’t tell you how happy my nerdy horticultural heart is to see the “Felco” brand listed on our site for the first time.
We’re also launching our new summer bouquet subscription, flowers that we plan to grow right behind the Shop, in the heart of the Near Northwest Neighborhood. Seed starting has already begun, and when I tell you this has been years in the making, that’s not an exaggeration. We’ve been sourcing unique varieties from nurseries and plant breeders across the country these past few years, and we’re just about ready to share them with you.
Soon, so very soon.
We’re also offering a few ready-to-grow Shiitake mushroom logs, since we’re taking a break from our popular Mushroom Log Workshop this year to make space for us to bring The Lot Next Door online. These were inoculated last spring and should bear their first crop this year.
And, our bearded iris presale continues. We’ve already sold out of one offering, and a few others are getting quite low. Don’t sleep on these!
I understand fully if you choose not to order online tomorrow during the blackout. But, you could certainly browse, make a wish list, and place your orders over the weekend. Ordering in advance ensures that you get exactly what you want for your garden while helping our local and independent business come back to life after one of our leanest, slowest seasons of the year (winter).
I’ll be back in your inbox early next week to share more about our plans for The Lot this year. If you’re a local maker, grower, or artisan, you’ll want to say tuned for this one.
Thank you, each and every one of you, for continuing to believe in and support us on this wild ride. It means the world to us when we see you in the Shop, at an event, or in a workshop. We look forward to welcoming you for many years to come, continuing to build new traditions together, and loving on this place we call home.
See you soon, plant lovers.
With Gratitude,
Ben | Founder & CEO