During the Covid-19 pandemic we’ve all been experiencing lately, lots of people turned to (indoor) gardening as a way to spend their extra time off. Not only does it give your home an Instagram worthy look but it also does wonders for your mental health. Stress goes out the window and you are left with a feeling of inner peace.
Of course, in order to turn your home into an urban jungle, you will need plants. Lots of them. And what better way to support your locals than to shop in one of many cool plant shops Europe has to offer? We have therefore collected five of the coolest plant shops in Europe where you definitely won’t leave empty-handed. If none of these are close to your home, do not worry, maybe you will be able to visit one of them on your next trip.
1. JungleLab, Brussels
Brussels has a lot to offer as far as plant shops go and choosing between all of them was not an easy task. Yet JungleLab definitely stands out amongst the crowd. This fairly new store is so much more than just a place to buy plants. You can for example marvel at the ever-changing art on display or even bring in your sick plants. The owner, Quentin Thibault who actually is a landscape architect, then takes care of them and makes sure that they will be healthy within no time. You can also contact JungleLab to design your garden or to assemble a living wall.
Quentin was so kind to give some insight into the impact of Covid-19 on the plant industry.
“JungleLab opened on February 22, which turned out to be just a couple of weeks before the beginning of the lockdown in Belgium. Not a great timing you might argue. Almost the entire business, apart from some ongoing projects which were scaled back to an absolute minimum, just stopped.”
“When you are dealing with living goods like plants, it is really difficult to hold on to your stock for such a long time. The shop is not that big nor bright, so I had to move the plants around a lot in order to keep them alive and kicking.”
“The most frustrating part of it all was perhaps the fact that big retail chains like Carrefour or Delhaize could just keep on selling plants. The same goes for big plant shops with a webshop. Which means that, although people massively turned to (indoor) gardening during the lockdown, smaller businesses did not benefit from that trend at all.”
“I think all of us small business owners hoped that the end of the lockdown would mean a huge sales increase. We thought people would take advantage of their regained freedom to go to their local shops and support them. Yet so far, customers are hesitant and sales are not great. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 era, it is a rough time to be a small shop owner.”
2. Forest, London
London has been a hipster hotspots for years now, so does not come as a surprise that they have some of the best plant shops in Europe. We particularly like Forest, which has two stores across town. The raw interior of the shops combines perfectly with the greenery and accessories they have on offer. Let’s call their style minimalistic with a twist. Forest clearly concentrates on indoor plants and everything you need to style your home, from planters to rugs and even hand soap. You can even ask them to repot your new plant in a fitting pot so you don’t have to mess around with potting soil at home. Whoever lives in a tiny apartment will know how handy that is.
3. Wild, Milan
Even though Milan is known as one of the fashion capitals of Europe, the city has much more to offer. If right now you are thinking about gelato: definitely. You are right. But why not enjoy your delicious Italian ice cream right after visiting the beautiful plant shop Wild? This airy, light-drenched store is a delight for all your senses. Their catchphrase? Stay wild, in your home and your soul. And the first step to do so, you guessed it, is by turning your home into an uncontrollable jungle. At Wild you will find some of the nicest indoor plants and they even offer advice on how to care for them on their blog.
4. Wildernis, Amsterdam
The owners of Wildernis, Mila and Emma, opened their store in 2015 as they were on a mission to make Amsterdam a little greener. If you have visited the Dutch capital before, you will know that despite the city being an absolute beauty, there are not that many green spots in the center. In this shop you will therefore be able to find everything you need to turn your home and garden into a green oasis. Whether you are looking for a rare indoor plant or flower seeds to attract more bees to your garden, this is where you need to go. And there is more. They also offer a broad range of plant themed accessories, you can enjoy a delicious coffee amongst the plants or follow a workshop. No need to choose.
5. Plant, Copenhagen
Let’s face it: the Scandi interior style is without a doubt the most stylish option out there. Minimalistic, bright, qualitative… What more can you ask for? A few plants of course. If you are living in or visiting Copenhagen, you must at least once drop by Plant. They have two different stores in the city so there is without a doubt one not too far from where you are staying. Taking a plant home with you as a souvenir is not always possible sadly but why not buy a design plant pot to cheer up your living room? We especially love the Aristoteles ones – also very appropriate as a gift if you have a bit of a philosophical friend. And in case you do have the possibility to buy a plant, please do so. Their collection is just stunning.
