Plant keeping gains popularity

Social media like Instagram and Facebook these days are flooded with aesthetic pictures of indoor plants. Significant growth in the number of plant stores, physical as well as online, can be seen at present.

Sushant Mukhia, manager of Pots and Plants, Nakhipot believes that lockdown played a significant role in many people becoming plant parents. “Growing plants is not only a productive and peaceful hobby but also a way for keeping our mental health well. During the pandemic, it became an escape from the horrors that were transpiring around the world”, he says.

“Being a plant parent has a lot of health benefits as well”, says Nidhi Dewan, owner of Plant House, an online plant store. “People paid more attention towards decorating their personal spaces during the lockdowns. Plants work well as decorations. This may also be a reason why it suddenly gained so much popularity”, she adds.

The plant business can be very vast due to its wide range of varieties. Dewan, being from Illam, brings her plants from her hometown to Kathmandu. “Mine is a small business and does not have a physical store. Hence, I don’t need to bring plants on a large scale”, she says.

Mukhia first gathered plants from all over Nepal and different local nurseries to capture as much variety of plants as possible. “As the demands increased, we expanded our area of suppliers to India and China for Peace Lillies, and some international countries like Switzerland for rubber plants”, he says.

Occasions and celebrations increase sales in plant businesses as gifting plants to loved ones are becoming a trend these days. Dewan’s business gained more profit than usual before she closed down her store for Dashain. However, Mukhia’s expectations with Dashain sales were not met. “We hope Tihar plays a positive role in the sales'', he says.

Plant keeping is a hobby that serves an individual in many ways. It is never too late to start being a plant parent. “Snake plant is a perfect plant to start with if you have no experience with plant keeping”, says Dewan. “It is one of the most sold items in my store”, she adds.

“For a beginner, I would suggest starting with plants like that symbolizes peace and luck. Plants that help purify the air and also work as an anti-radiator by absorbing radiations emitted from electronic devices are also good for beginners”, Mukhia says. “Plants that are associated with the Chinese Feng Shui are also a great option”, he adds.