Shops / plants
New plant store opens on North Street
“Once I put my mind to something, I jump in with two feet with determination, stubbornness and a dash of perfectionism,” says Sarah Cheetham, whose used her strong resolution to open a bricks and mortar store in the midst of a pandemic.
Twig Plants has recently opened a physical store on North Street, following two years of online trading.
“After eight years working in conservation living in jungles and rainforests of the world for years at a time, I quickly realised the importance of plants in my life” says Sarah, who lives in Bedminster.
“The role they play and the physical and mental benefits they’ve had on me when I moved back to the UK and into an urban flat.
“Simply, I wanted to share this benefit and my knowledge, encouraging people to create their own green ‘happy place’.”
Twig Plants was created by that desire to help others experience the positives of plants. The store stocks a range of houseplants, cotton plant pots and plant hangers.
The front of the store is painted by Molly Hawkins, mural artist and illustrator. Photo: Twig Plants
Sarah and her partner, Alex, moved to Bristol in January 2020 and began selling at the Tobacco Factory Market.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the 33-year-old began selling solely online and delivering plants in Bristol and across the UK, with Sarah saying: “The support from customers and family with my own determination pushed me through 2020.”
She decided to open a physical store in December 2020, moving into 175 North Street, a space that had been empty for more than eight years.
On opening the shop in the midst of a national lockdown, Sarah says it’s been “pretty scary”.
“But to do this you have to back yourself,” she says. “I have every faith that things will bounce back. I’m lucky that house plants are something people are really craving since being in their homes so much for the last year.
“My focus this year is predominately on the shop; creating a lovely and welcoming place for people to visit and enjoy the plant experience.
“I love the customer interaction and sharing my knowledge, so I want people to feel comfortable coming in and asking me anything they’re concerned about or if they’re just after a bit of advice.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLOvuKuFQv7/
Sarah also hopes to run workshops based around repotting, plant care and pot making.
“Having only moved to Bristol a year ago, and that year being a national lockdown, I can’t get over how welcoming and amazing people have been here,” Sarah says. “It truly feels like home.”
Main photo: Twig Plants
Read more: Plant store to come to Cabot Circus
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