I, like many people during the pandemic, have really gone on a houseplant spree. I want to be a…read morebaby and mention that I was into them long before it was cool, but admittedly, have ramped up my hobby, and am currently 100+ plants in, on the way to turning my entire house into a jungle.
For the last few months, I have heard mention of Planted Earth Floral from various members of a plant group in which I participate. The "Floral" really throws you off, as I would assume they are a florist, rather than a mostly-antiques-with-a-side-of-houseplants-shop. When I heard they had some long sought String of Turtles in stock, I made the drive down to Orem.
They are located right off State Street, in a beautiful Victorian brick house. The facade is cluttered with décor: signage, furniture, garden statues, and other large decorations. The interior arrangement of goods matches that, but it is in the charming way where you never quite know what you will discover.
When I walked in, a gentleman was at the front desk looking at his phone. He looked at me, more than once, but without a smile or any sort of greeting. Thus, it felt awkward looking at the goodies in that immediate area (and there was a doozy of a jewelry collection). I wandered through the rest of the store noting lots of great stuff: Victorian fur coats (and plenty of other vintage clothing), candy colored depression glass, beautiful pottery, prints, and all the staples one would hope to find, but I was on a mission, and only gave it a cursory glance.
Plants are housed in a little greenhouse, and it is not a particularly large area, but they have some real treasures! Many common plants, but plenty that feel more special, like the aforementioned String of Turtles, Prince of Orange and Birkin Philodendrons, several varieties of Alocasias (even trendy Black Velvet!), Calatheas, etc. Many sizes, in hanging and standard pots, macramé hangers, etc. I was very pleased, and tempted by many, but only have so much space, so forced myself to stick with the plant for which I visited.
Prices are comparable to other area nurseries, and I think the same could be said for their antiques. When I paid for my purchase, the same gentleman who had been at the front when I arrived assisted me, and he was as nice as could be! He shared care tips for my baby, and told me about the little tree frog they have living in their terrarium. So don't be put off if your encounter initially feels unfriendly.
So far, my SOT is living the good life in a terrarium I crafted at the store owner's recommendation, and he seems happy as can be. Planted Earth is an excellent option for a lesser-known nursery that just might surprise you with your wish list plant.
