Rooted in hope: Chloe Gregory shares her house of plants

Plant mom Chloe Gregory always saw the seeds in her garden as a symbol of hope. Flowers brought her more joy than she ever imagined, so it felt only natural for her to share her gift of greenery with others.

She told Saturday Living, “Plants put me in another frame of mind. I can be in pain and just taking care of the plants soothes that pain. It’s my safe place. It’s my haven. It’s my therapy. I would get up every day looking forward to seeing, watering and talking to my babies.”

Currently, her collection includes succulents ranging from cactus to snake plants, as well as peace lilies, aglaonema, ZZ plants, pothos, bromeliads, and lucky bamboo.

Her business, Chloe’s House of Plants, was birthed out of kindness. Beneath that generosity, however, lies a story shaped by grief and unexpected support.

“Unfortunately, I had lost my mom to cancer. And a friend whom I had worked with at the time put us on to her friend. And that complete stranger became the best thing for my family and me,” she revealed.

The way in which she cared and helped the family really left a mark on Gregory’s heart, “Losing a mother is not easy at all. I felt like there was no reason for me to live, in all honesty. It took me two years to find some semblance of hope. And I’m grateful to her [for] that kindness we received. I needed to give her a gift that will last a while.”

Since she had her garden, she initially considered gifting a bunch of red roses or a cactus. As blooming plants, they would bring light to the recipient’s world, no matter what. But after a while, the bloom fades.

“I really wanted to give her a thank-you plant so that she will look at it for weeks, not just for days or a week or two. When I did my research on plants that would last longer, but still have a lovely presence to it, I came across the lucky bamboo,” she said.

Then and there, Gregory made the plan to surprise her with that thank-you gift. “I said to her, ‘You don’t know what you did for my family’. And this is just to show you that we appreciate you. That’s when she told me how much she loves lucky bamboo.”

Impressed by the arrangement, the stranger, who later became a family friend, admitted she had no idea Gregory was into plant arrangements. When Gregory explained that she was not and had created it on a whim just for her, the woman immediately encouraged her to turn it into a business.

With that career seed planted, one lucky bamboo soon grew into an order of 15. While delivering the bamboos, catastrophe struck when Gregory was hit by a taxi. The accident was so severe that she later underwent several surgeries.

“I did the first two spine surgeries and went back to work. But then in 2023, we had an earthquake and I instinctively bent under the table and ran out of the building when it was time to do so,” she added. While it was the right move to make for safety, the action did further damage to her back, leading her to do a third surgery.

It was during this recovery that she sought comfort and received healing from her plants.

Gregory soon potted her garden beauties and began selling plants. “Plants have allowed me to share happiness with others. But it has played a key role in my recovery as well. Nature is healing and while there’s a lot of things that are still challenging for me to do, once I see the plant, I forget the pain and I’m motivated by renewed strength. I will spend hours with my plants.”

Completing the flora arrangement, she has added designed pots to her gifting portfolio.“I thought to myself, ‘Instead of buying a pot for the plants, why can’t I make a pot?’ While I was healing, I made my first pot. I started with painting a can. I painted roses [and] birds. Then I thought it would be nice to have this lovely concrete pot with bright colours. I accessorised it with jute rope. So the plant becomes a nice little decorative piece that you can always have to look at and you can drop your succulent in,” she explained.

Gregory remains grateful for the love and support she receives from her family, who has remained by her side during this successful business venture.

In terms of benefits, outdoor plants, she said, beautify your space and landscape. Indoor plants, such as ZZ and snake plants, offer the same appeal while also helping to filter and purify the air. There is no denying the peace of mind that comes with being a plant owner.

“Some of the rookie mistakes new plant parents make are adjusting the budding babies’ home. Sometimes, they get so excited that the moment they purchase the plant, they go home and place it in another pot. That’s a big no-no. Taking any plant into a new home requires time and patience to adjust to the home environment. So learn as much as you can about your plant, like the preference of hydration, nutrients, direct or indirect sunlight,” she shared.

A firm believer in talking to your plants, Gregory advises that new owners without a natural green thumb opt for low-maintenance choices such as daisies, snake plants, lucky bamboo or cacti, which require minimal care and infrequent watering.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com