The Estevan downtown business community keeps growing, getting more and more diverse.
The Plant Bench became the latest member that joined the bright business world on Fourth Street. The new business offers a wide variety of unique plants.
Kellan George, the Plant Bench owner, said that it all started like a hobby, which he shared with his father. But eventually, he realized that they weren't the only ones lacking variety when it came to growing a collection of plants in Estevan. So he decided to fill in the existing gap.
"The business side of me took over. I wanted to start selling these because I knew where to get them and whatnot. So last few years, we had a little Facebook group and we just had people in and we'd bring some plants in and people would buy from an official group. We got busy enough and we knew it was time to set this year and get the place," George explained.
He and his dad had been collecting plants for a few years before it turned into a business. George said like many others, for him it started with succulents, but went way further than these popular pieces.
"That's actually how I got into plants was the succulents. They're difficult. They're so difficult. You got to have so much sunlight for some of them and then they change colours with more sunlight or the more drought-tolerant ones. So that's what got me into plants in the first place was succulents. It was cool watching them change as the conditions change," George said.
"It started with getting a few from Walmart and other places around town and quickly grew past that."
Growing a plant collection seemed like something more interesting than collecting stamps or coins to him, as it involves a lot of work but you also can see the results of your work along the way.
"I like the fact that it's not just something to look at, it's actually something you got to take care of. They seem relatively easy, but the more effort you put into it and the more time and attention you give them, the more they grow, the healthier they are. I like that aspect of it, where it's not like a lot of other collections where you collect them and then all you do is just stare at them," George said.
The shop offers a great variety of different types of plants from show-starters succulents, to bestselling tropical monsteras and endless varieties in between. They also try to have a good mixture of smaller and bigger plants.
The store opened this spring, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the grand opening was postponed until this weekend. On June 26 almost everything in the store will be 10 per cent off.
While the grand opening is still to happen, so far the business has been doing pretty well.
"It's been fairly busy. It seems that there is a need here in Estevan for some plants. I think a lot of people are starting to recognize that the big box stores only bring in the same 20 plants every now and then. So we really try to get some of the rarer stuff in," George noted.
Not only does the store have a lot of different plants on display, but they also do their best to find something specific on-demand. Sometimes it doesn't happen instantly, George said, but eventually, he tries to get the plants customers have their eyes on. Besides, their collection updates weekly, so the variety is always there and the selection constantly changes.
"We get our orders in every week. We are also at the mercy of what our suppliers have ready that specific week, so whatever I get in that week I post it on a Facebook group for everyone to see with the prices. And then they can come down to the shop and pick it up if there's something that they like," George explained.
The collection is regularly updated on The Plant Bench Facebook Page.
The Plant Bench is located at 1129 Fourth Street. They are open Wednesday-Friday from 4-7 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday from 12-4 p.m.
