On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, we officially broke ground on our next adventure: a new space we’re calling The Lot Next Door.

Through most of 2024, Botany has been undergoing a “software update,” mostly behind the scenes. And, that’s sort of how I’m approaching my update today. I’m about to share some new features, introduce new services, and announce some big changes - things you might have seen or felt or heard as a Botany neighbor or customer, but never knew quite for sure. This moment feels like the beginning of Botany 2.0…

The third Saturday in July is Plant Pride, our signature, crown jewel event celebrating the opening of The Botany Shop at 909 Portage Avenue in 2021. From the beginning, our work and our mission has been grounded in community, and so every year since 2022, we invite our friends, neighbors, customers, and supporters for a day of beauty, laughter, smiles, and good vibes – a place where, as one guest shared, “Everyone could be their authentic self, surrounded by joy.”

Our next native plug sale is coming up, and we’re making a few changes. Here’s what you need to know to plan your visit.

Today is a big day for Botany as we open the Season Pass to our community for the first time. This is something we’ve been working on for months, and aside from the nitty gritty “how and what” of the Season Pass, I also wanted to share our “why.” 

Maybe it’s too soon for one of those “2023 Wrapped” messages, especially in our world of retail and customer service as it feels like the better part of half our year builds to what happens in these last few weeks. We’ve poured months of energy and time and care into thinking about how we could make this season our best yet. So much is yet to happen, so many plans and dreams have yet to be realized, and before we know it, it will be January 1, 2024. Blink and you’ll miss it, which is why I want to take few moments to mark this time, right now, before the new year officially begins.

On average, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the local economy and community. That’s more than twice the amount big chains reinvest. I’ve been thinking a lot about this statistic because – if you know me – you know I love numbers, especially when we think about what a number really means.

We understand (better than anyone) that your time is perhaps even more valuable than your dollars. While it takes effort to support local businesses, the rewards are infinite. We hope you feel our love, we hope you feel inspired to try something new, we hope we can help you create cherished memories, and we hope you come to enjoy and embrace something we ourselves also love.