Leeds based houseplant business Poppy’s Potting Shed is celebrating a successful 16 months since launch with a move to much larger premises
in Burley after a fantastic response to their original store in Armley.
Poppy’s Potting Shed grew from a seed of an idea formed during the first lockdown in Spring 2020. Unable to continue work as a personal trainer, Anna Garbutt spent lockdown, like many others, in her garden. Frustrated by a shortage of plants, seeds,
and soil, Anna began sourcing her own supplies from wholesalers. Soon she was providing friends and family with supplies, and realised there was an increasing demand for houseplants, as people spent more time indoors.
A series of house plant pop up shops held at her partner’s gym, Implexus, in July and August 2020 quickly developed into a retail store in Armley, Leeds. The store became an instant hit, with locals praising selection, quality, service, and atmosphere.
The success of the Armley store gave Anna the confidence to fulfill a bigger dream. She had a vision of a never-been-done-before plant store that provides an experience as well as a product and service. A 1000sq foot premises, triple the size of the original store, located on Kirkstall Road, Leeds, became available, and Anna has started work
on transforming the space into an indoor jungle.
The space will include a highly ‘instagrammable’ jungle chair feature, alongside a plant menu board to help customers select their perfect next house plant. Anna is also planning a series of workshops – from terrarium and wreath making, to exclusive plant and prosecco evenings.
The new store at Burley Court on Kirkstall Road, Leeds is due to open the weekend ofthe 13th November. Anna says, “I am so excited to open the new store. The aim is for it to be an immersive, urban indoor jungle. I’m trying to cover every inch in greenery! We want to provide plants of course, but we aim to also provide a full shopping experience
and expert advice to the Leeds plant community.”
As for the future of Poppy’s Potting Shed, Anna will be recruiting staff to help manage the new store, and an online store offering national delivery is in the works.
