Being a plant parent isn't easy. When we're growing up, we learn a plant needs soil, water, and sunshine to grow. The truth is a little more complicated. There are different types of soil, drainage needs, and a whole bunch of stuff about pH. It can be intimidating, but a new plant subscription service hopes to demystify the plant-growing process.
Grounded is both a subscription service and a virtual plant shop. It's the brainwork of friends and cofounders Mignon Hemsley and Danuelle Doswell. The project offered them a way to share their love of gardening while also promoting messages about self-care and mental health. Nurturing the growth of a living thing is very powerful and can do wonders for the soul.
Grounded will offer subscription and nonsubscription models. The plants currently offered are limited as the company learns more about its customer base and what they're looking for, but it shows serious promise. While the current launch is exclusive to the Washington, DC, area, there are plans to expand once stay-at-home orders are lifted.
There's a subscription service for everything nowadays, but this one is truly a stroke of genius. Two friends came together with a shared love of gardening. Mignon Hemsley and Danuelle Doswell have grown that love into Grounded, a virtual plant shop and subscription service.
"Grounded was created to help you disconnect and decompress through the appreciation of plants in the spaces we occupy," the website reads.
"Our selection of plants has a plethora of benefits designed to elicit a sense of tranquility and mindfulness. From boosting your creativity and concentration, to reducing stress and purifying the air, the influence of plants within a given environment, has proven to be advantageous."
"Introducing plants to your space has the capacity to improve your health and overall happiness," the explanation continues.
"Sometimes, when the world around you seems a bit chaotic, the synergy between plants and humans are a natural progression in helping us to remain grounded."
With their Earth Day launch amid millions staying at home, there's no time the need to be grounded has felt more important.
Mignon and Danuelle shared their excitement for the project with DCist. "We’re helping people in our communities realize that this is a cheap kind of therapy," Mignon said.
"Just watering my plants and checking them is helping me stay sane."
The ladies also hope that Grounded will start an important conversation surrounding mental health in the black community.
"We felt like especially in our community, the black community is not as knowledgeable when it comes to different mental health outlets," Danuelle explained. "So that ignited our business."
Both women grew up with a passion for gardening, started by parents and other family members. In Danuelle's case, her paternal relatives were sharecroppers.
"Everything is derived from somewhere," she points out. "There is a connection to my lineage and my ancestors."
Mignon and Danuelle's mantra is that plants help disconnect and decompress. It's the through-line in everything offered through Grounded. That work seems even more important as people struggle to tend to their mental health while they are forced to stay at home.
Both subscribers and nonsubscribers will be able to become plant parents through Grounded. Nonsubscribers have three plants to choose from currently: aloe vera, golden pothos, and snake plants. Grounded plans to increase its selection in the coming months.
Danuelle and Mignon explain they've chosen these plants to start with because they're low-maintenance starters that are great for beginners. They cost from $15 to $20. They'll be hand-delivered within the DC area or shipped to others.
Subscriptions require a three-month commitment. Subscribers get customized packages of plants and pots. They can customize the number of plants they have delivered and the frequency with which they are delivered. They also ask whether the plant will live in your home or office to help you make the best decisions.
While the business partners are limited to DC right now, they plan to do pop-ups in New York City and other areas when things reopen. The plants are sourced from nurseries and garden centers in both DC and New York City. For now, they're happy to have started online.
"The pandemic has proven that everything being online is much more accessible and that’s definitely the future," Danuelle noted.
Grounded also offers a blog and newsletter full of helpful information for budding gardeners. Not only will you learn more about the plants the service has available, but you'll also learn about what plants offer us in exchange for helping them flourish. Grounded is even curating monthly playlists for your plants!
These women have put together something beautiful. Grounded offers you a chance at healing while learning a new skill that has countless benefits. It's also a wonderful opportunity to support a black-owned, female-owned business with huge promise.
