Houseplant Hospital will open in Newhaven
This will be a place to take your ailing houseplants to repot them, or get advice on helping them thrive.
The new store will be on the corner of Newhaven Road and Ferry Road. Business owners Rosanna and Tom Costello founded Hilda Houseplants (named after Tom’s grandmother) after operating pop-ups and market stalls. With the help of an £18,000 start-up loan from British Business Bank, and its delivery partner Transmit Startups (one of around 6,300 loans to business owners in Scotland since 2012), the couple will fit out the unit ahead of the summer opening.
Their experience with plant care began when they moved into an apartment with no garden or access to nature. Then they started selling plants from a stall in Stockbridge Market.
Rosanna Costello said: “Getting the keys to our first shop was a huge day for us – I never thought I would be able to get a full time job from one of my favorite hobbies. Collaborating with people and teaching them about their plants has been really rewarding, and we have had a fantastic response from customers who They have a new appreciation for their plants now and they know how to care for them properly.
“With more people working from home, so has the demand for houseplants in recent years. People look at them as a way to create a more comfortable and inspiring working environment, and this is particularly the case for those living in Edinburgh, where many properties do not have gardens or access to outdoor living space.”
Barry McCulloch, Senior Director UK Network, Scotland at British Business Bank said: “Rosanna and Tom are benefiting from the houseplant trend and we’re delighted to be helping them prepare for the store opening. It’s great to see a business that first started as a hobby grow and thrive. Start Up Loans was created to not only provide financing through a range of delivery partners but also to provide support to entrepreneurs across the country with additional business activities such as marketing, accounting and business development.”
Alan Toodle, Senior Business Adviser, Transmit Startups added: “Empowering passionate people to seize market opportunities and turn their skills and hobbies into a source of income is exactly what we are here for. It was a pleasure helping Rosanna and Tom take this exciting step and I know Newhaven will be Much healthier and happier because of their work.”
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