Colleague Jen Zurko traveled to the Nashville, Tennessee, region a couple of weeks ago and stopped in at a garden center well known for its array of houseplants. Check it out!

I know Ellen visited Hewitt Garden & Design Center in Franklin, Tennessee, during the GCA’s Summer Tour of Nashville garden centers in 2019. But since I had never been to the area—and multiple people told me not to miss it—I made sure a stop there was included on my itinerary.

I had a chance to chat up Beth and Bill Hewitt to see how the spring was faring. Input and shipping prices are up, so they raised their prices for the first time since 1996. (Franklin is in the top 15 highest income counties in the country, so Bill said no one’s complained.) Sales looked good—Bill said at the time they were up 10% over last year, which was their best year ever.

What really caught my attention was their houseplant area. Beth said they have a huge houseplant clientele and it’s been steadily increasing. When they first started, it was just succulents—now it includes everything from traditional low-maintenance, old reliables to premium collectibles.

Hewitt’s houseplant section fills out multiple rooms and greenhouses. It’s become a big part of their business and continues to increase.

Beth and Bill’s son Jesse and his husband Andrew have taken over the houseplant section, purchasing the product and making decisions on the inputs to go along with them. Andrew said that maintaining a large houseplant selection is all about supply and demand.

“We have the best prices,” said Andrew confidently. “Collectors constantly tell us that they don’t feel like we gouge them because our prices are competitive.”

Hewitt’s switches out the houseplant displays once a quarter and changes the color scheme once a year.

The reason for this is because hardcore plant collectors know there’s a bit of a dark side to their hobby—especially if you buy online. Andrew said it’s not uncommon for sellers to overcharge for plants that don’t warrant that price. Most collectors do their homework and know what a rare hoya is currently going for on the market, and Andrew said they do the same thing.

“We’re always looking for the best deals from our suppliers,” he explained. “And we do the research on what’s best for the market.”

Andrew said it’s incredible how cutthroat the hobby houseplant market can be—once collectors find out Hewitt’s has a new rare plant, they jump on it. Sometimes showing up at 5:00 a.m. to wait in the parking until they open.

They also have a wide range of pots and containers with different price points, which they mix together. “We want people to look around and explore,” said Andrew.

(Continued from above)

Jesse pays attention to trends through social media and will find local artisans and pottery companies to source pots, so there are quite a few handmade pieces. But they also offer the basic terra cotta pots, “so a 16-year-old can come in and get a gift for a parent that they can afford,” said Andrew.

Jesse Hewitt pays close attention to color and pottery trends. Andrew said that mustard and charcoal colors seems to be the hot colors right now.

Andrew said hoyas are really big for them right now. They have a variegated one for $65 and a couple others for over $90. They offer 7- and 15-gallon ficus that they sell to a lot of local restaurants. And there’s a 20-year-old schefflera for $1,000.

Hewitt offers quite a few premium, collectible houseplants, like this syngonium for $185 …

… a Philodendron rugosum for $250 …

… and a schefflera for $1,000.

Because of this, security is a major concern for them, especially since their garden center is far off the road down a long driveway, so they’ve installed security cameras around the property. Andrew said that people who steal high-end houseplants re-sell them on the Internet for a much higher price. I said, “Kinda like concert ticket scalpers,” and Andrew said yes. And that it’s hard not to take theft personally.

“When you work as hard as you do for these plants, it’s sad,” he said. “Stealing is wrong all the time, but you’re stealing from a mom-and-pop.”

The next adventure for their houseplant section will possibly include indoor lighting equipment. Andrew said they want to offer ones that are decorative enough for modern homes that don’t have a lot of light.

“You can turn a dark corner into a complete houseplant area,” said Andrew.

Thanks for your write-up on an excellent garden center, JZ! Can’t wait to see where you head next!

As I wait for the evening temps to be reliably mid-50s in order to place my 31-year-old Christmas cactus outside for the season, I just got a newsletter suggestion from the folks at Monrovia to “Bring the Inside Out.” With their new line of houseplants, of course. Houseplants, as we all know, originate from the great tropical outdoors. Why not put them back out there, if only for a few months?

Folks can easily create a backyard oasis by bringing the larger, lush-looking plants to their patios and gardens. “One of this season’s garden design trends is all about Upscale Relaxation,” said Monrovia’s chief marketing officer Katie Tamony in a press release. “This style involves using plants and furnishings to create the feel of a luxury spa, upscale restaurant or boutique hotel right in your own backyard. It’s all about developing soothing spaces and a relaxing atmosphere where you want to linger longer.”

Monrovia entered the houseplant market early this year with a collection that features larger varieties in pots that are 1-gal. or bigger. These are the plants that can create that calm, cozy, tropical vibe almost instantly.

Some of the varieties Monrovia is suggesting include:

Abidjan Rubber Plant. With dramatic, deep-green leaves, the newer leaves start as bright red spikes for a splash of color.

Burle Marx Calathea. Leaves have cool blue and deep green stripes with beautiful purple undersides. As a low grower, it’s a good item for low-light areas.

Ginny Mini Monstera. This is a fast-growing variety native to Thailand and Malaysia. Give it bright, filtered light and it’ll reach more than 6-ft. tall if given support.

Jazzy Jewel Amber Hibiscus. What’s more tropical-looking than the beautiful blooms of a hibiscus? Jazzy Jewel is Monrovia’s exclusive series of hibiscus, featuring bright, jewel-toned blooms with glossy green foliage. Wait, but is this considered a houseplant? I’ve grown them inside in a bright window over the winter, so yes. 

Contact your Monrovia rep for info and availability. 

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but houseplants are trendy. The word “trendy” is an understatement, actually. They are here to stay (did they ever really leave?). And that’s the topic at the heart of Green Profit’s May issue.  

You’ll want to read that issue cover to cover. Managing Editor Jen Polanz starts it off with an exploration of why folks spend seemingly exorbitant prices for collectors’ items (like baseball cards and plants and such), and the houseplant-related topics from there include educating consumers on fertilizing houseplants (I need to read that, I’m so bad at remembering!), a rundown on where the market is and where it’s going, indoor décor and a great piece on bromeliads out in the garden. Hey, didn’t I just mention taking indoor plants outdoors? Find the digital edition of Green Profit HERE. Or, visit www.greenprofit.com and scroll down for all of this month’s houseplant-happy articles.