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New online resources from local business can help plant owners grow new skills

'Plants should be a part of people’s lives.' says Juliana VanderHeide, the owner of Botanical Jewels
20201118 Juliana VanderHeide AD 1
Juliana VanderHeide. Supplied photo.

With a rise in plant ownership during the pandemic, a local business in Guelph wants to help  residents develop a green thumb with a new e-commerce and education website.

Since Oct. 31, Botanical Jewels has been offering downloadable sheets with caring tips for a variety of indoor plants. These resources focus on a few kinds of houseplants: aroid, begonia, hoya and dischidia.

With so much information online about plants, the website can help people understand their plants needs, and learn more about new ones they’re looking to buy.  

Juliana VanderHeide is the owner of Botanical Jewels. She says she hopes to develop a blog and how-to videos in the spring which would also touch on herbs and growing vegetables.

“Everybody can do it and have their own way of doing it,” explains VanderHeide about caring for plants, “Plants should be a part of people’s lives.”

Along with resources, Botanical Jewels also offers horticultural consulting for individual or office plant projects. In a 30 minute Zoom session, customers and Botanical Jewels staff create a ‘plant proposal’ which provides customers with all the information they need to get started.

“We can also be as hands on or hands off as the customer requires,” says VanderHeide.

As people are spending more time at home during the pandemic, plants have quickly become a way people can connect with the outdoors and sustainability practices, as they are accessible to everyone.

“Being able to grow something gives you a sense of ‘I have something to do,” says VanderHeide.

“With very little we can have a lot, and plants are a great part of that.”

She adds that tending to plants also has positive effects on mental health.

“Mental health is something that I'm really passionate about and plants really go hand-in-hand with that,” says VanderHeide.

Prior to COVID, Botanical Jewels was considering opening their growing facility in Fergus to customers, but pivoted with a new website instead.

“I think it was the right move instead of creating a facility that is customer accessible,” says VanderHeide about the decision, “Down the road, I think it is something we will venture into, (but) for now, I really think we can run with this website."

To help with deliveries, Botanical Jewels has teamed up with a company called Plantruz to bring plants to customers outside of Guelph. Some of these locations include across the GTA, London and Ottawa.

To learn more, go to botanicaljewels.ca.


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Ariel Deutschmann

About the Author: Ariel Deutschmann

Ariel Deutschmann is a feature writer and reporter who covers community events, businesses, social initiatives, human interest stories and more involving Guelph and Wellington County
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