Target reached! Stretch target: £4,000
With the extra money, I could kit out my new shop, buy a wider variety of plants and...
With the extra money, I could kit out my new shop, buy a wider variety of plants and...
Aim: My aim is to set up a bespoke house plant business in Newquay, Cornwall, where I can prescribe the perfect plant for you.
Trillium House Plants
What if I told you I could prescribe the perfect plant for you? Whether your living room is a suntrap or your home is a dark basement flat, I can diagnose precisely the right plant therapy thanks to more than two decades of experience.
My background
I'm Emma, founder of the newly established Trillium. My business idea came to me when I was made redundant from the Eden Project after working there for 22 years. I’d been responsible for designing and tending to the indoor plants all around the site, as well as taking care of in-house floristry, and creating show gardens and displays for the Eden Sessions and other events.
All of that said, my story has a happy ending since redundancy gave me the push I needed to create Trillium. I’d also noticed how much I missed being around plants during lockdown so, as soon as the garden centres re-opened, I couldn’t help but visit them and fill my home with as many beautiful plants as possible.
Soon I realised, why not set up an indoor plant business? Plus I had plenty of time on my hands, so I began to compile plant care information for as many house plants as I could find, discovering some amazing facts along the way.
Extreme Greens
Did you know that plants can get homesick when they move to a new house? Or that we couldn’t actually survive without them? They give us oxygen, they clothe us and feed us, and provide us with medicine. More than that, they nourish our soul and create a calm environment. This is where plant therapy comes in.
The connection between plants and people is deep rooted. Have you ever noticed how good you feel after a long walk in nature? Better yet, when we bring plants into our homes, they help to clean the air, and the soil they grow in contains natural bacteria that stimulates the serotonin levels which make us happy. What’s more, the colour green has a soothing effect on the nervous system.
My love of plants
Plants are truly amazing, which is why I’ve spent the last 20 plus years of my life working as a forager, garden designer, florist and indoor plant specialist. In fact, I’ve loved plants since I was a child. My family lived in different countries when I was young, and many of my memories revolve around the wide variety of plants I discovered as we moved from place to place.
I remember seeing sugar maples being tapped for syrup in Canada, scrumping rambutans from a neighbour’s garden, picking limequats from our own garden, and tickling the sensitive plant (which grows like a weed) while waiting for the bus in Singapore.
The Aim
With all this in mind, the funds raised through this project will support me in setting up my own shop in Newquay and online so I can supply people and businesses with beautiful bespoke plants to suit their needs - and the plants’ needs too!
"Emma is the best in the business when it comes to plants. Her knowledge of plants is second to none. I can rely on her for advice on plant choice, situation or aesthetics, knowing she puts the customers needs first.
A plants-woman of the 21st century through and through." Rob Love, founder of Crowdfunder
Terrarium Desk plant and pot
NatWest Back Her Business has provided £660 of match funding