07 Jun Plant Shop Q&A: The Plant Shack
This series interviews local plant shop owners to get a glimpse into their growing business and pick their brains about all things plants.
It is a pleasure to introduce(or re-introduce) you to Rachel Stepian, the owner of The Plant Shack. Rachel has a degree in zoology, worked in the tech world while serving in the Air Force, then decided to open the shacks! She enjoys nature, taking artistic photos of bugs, traveling, and playing with her rescue pup!
What encouraged you to open a plant store?
I hate winter and love being in nature! I was sitting in my house surrounded by all my plants while watching the snowfall and I felt so much better because I had green around me! I figured I couldn’t be the only one who felt peace around green and I knew I didn’t want to be in a corporate job for the rest of my life, so I made the extreme change and opened the shacks!
What kind of indoor plants does your shop specialize in?
We like to stick with 80% easy-to-care-for and inexpensive plants as 90% of our shoppers stick with that! We do carry some easy-to-care-for “rare” and “uncommon” plants too, but we like catering to what our customers want. That can change at any time though!
Tell us about a favorite moment with a customer.
Oh man, there are so many, but my favorite is when I traded a stick with some leaves on it for a sticker with a little girl. She was so happy! You can find the post here. I still tell that story to people and have inspired others to open their minds about fun trades too.
What is your #1 tip for new plant parents?
Don’t go overboard! Start with no more than three easy-to-care-for plants. It’s really easy to turn your entire home into a jungle, but it’s better to start at a slower pace and then build your jungle! This way you figure out your routine, where to place plants, where you want plants to go and even if you like plants!
Tell us about your personal plant collection. How has it evolved over time?
My personal collection was so large before I opened the shacks. I have toned down a lot though so mainly one room of my house now. I do have more hobbies and plants do take a lot of time, depending on your collection. Although I love and adore plants, and encourage others to have plants, my full identity is not plants – just a part of it!
What is your favorite houseplant at the moment?
I feel like this changes every time we get a new shipment [laughs!] I gravitate towards more of the foliage-heavy plants – philodendron brasil is so easy and they grow so cascade-y that I can’t help but love them. But I also love weird and quirky plants, like Begonia masoniana!
Any plant trends you foresee in the next year or two?
Philodendrons and begonia hybrids have been becoming super popular, but I don’t see the trends with Constellation Thais or M. Delisiosa ‘albo’ going anywhere either. I am also very bad with trends [laughs.]
Anything else you’d like to add about the shop?
We love our community. Without the community, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. We also wouldn’t be anywhere without our shack employees! Each one brings a unique personality to the shack and the shacks wouldn’t be what they are without them.
The Plant Shack
618 Main St, East Aurora, NY 14052
335 Center St, Lewiston, NY 14092
Learn more at theplantshackwny.com or