By Cathy Miller

(This week’s Persons of the Week planted a seed in Washington)

Rachel Collier and her family moved to Warren County from Sayreville in Middlesex County six years ago. She said, “I didn’t know till we got here that I liked the mountains! Plus, it’s quiet.” Thus was planted the seed of The Rooted Lion.

Mother-daughter team, Rachel and Madelyn Collier, co-owners, signed the lease for The Rooted Lion, their cheery one-stop plant shop in Washington Borough, in December 2021. Their Grand Opening was February 12, 2022. Madelyn said, “It’s taken a few months to redo the space and make it ours. It could be a little bigger, but it’s the perfect size to start.” Rachel added, “I wanted the shop to be whimsical without being cartoonish.”

Residents of Great Meadows, Washington became home to The Rooted Lion because Madelyn and Rachel were already active members of the community through the Farmers’ Market. Madelyn was doing well selling her homegrown houseplants, while Rachel sold vegetables from their home market-garden. Rachel said, “I just kept walking around town and thought we should open a plant shop, we should do this year round. We wanted to stay within a community that we knew and offer that community something new.”

Madelyn noted, “Every shop has its own niche and its own vibe.” At their shop, Madelyn and Rachel share their love of gardening, knowledge of plants, sense of community, and wish for a spirited partnership with local entrepreneurs. Everybody really wants to help everyone succeed, including the shoppers. It’s a very driven community.” She added, “We’re going to do this together.”

From a business standpoint, the happy horticulturists agreed, “We share the holistic benefits of caring for houseplants while creating a space where all feel welcome. We plan to host classes and lectures on horticultural topics. Our store will carry locally sourced agricultural products and farm fresh eggs. We want to help provide our community with economical, fresh food grown by local farmers.”

Rachel and Madelyn curated a shopped-based lending library of books on houseplants, gardening, pests and more, along with in-store reference books. Rachel hopes to interest a new generation of young growers. “It only takes one generation to lose valuable knowledge,” she stated emphatically. “Can you imagine if that knowledge is never passed on?”

During the height of the pandemic, greenery turned into something a lot of folks needed. To meet those needs, household standards like pothos and spider plants flourish alongside more unusual houseplants at The Rooted Lion.

Madelyn said, “We’re not so sure there’s one special must-have plant, but some plants can develop significant meaning over time. For us, the epipremnum aureum ‘golden pothos’ has been that plant for the last few years after inheriting a late family member’s collection of houseplants. Every golden pothos plant currently in the store has been grown from cuttings from those original plants. Keeping and sharing the plants is like keeping a little piece of them alive.”

When shopping for a houseplant, find one you love, but understand its needs before purchasing. If you know your house is drafty, a less hardy plant will die next to your drafty window. The plant that wants warmth all the time will not fare well in a chilly home.

Sometimes houseplants go through a transition when you first bring them home. They could lose a few leaves or growth might stop for a bit. They just need to get used to their new location. Madelyn explained, “A plant will do whatever it needs to maintain, before growing bigger.”

How did their interest in gardening evolve?

Rachel said, “I started about a decade ago. I got involved in the food movement and activism. That drove me to the master gardener program through Rutgers Cooperative Extension. When I started the program, I didn’t expect to end up having a 5,000 square-foot market garden and a flock of chickens but that’s just how it progressed!”

Madelyn said, “My obsession started pre-pandemic. My friend gave me a small clipping, a tradescantia pallida (purple heart), and something just clicked. It was something new to look at in the house. You walk around your house every day and it’s the same – couch, kitchen counter, bathroom. But then walk over and look at your plant and it’s got a new leaf! It’s different!”

She continued, “I dove into the experience and bought every plant I could. I enjoyed growing them and it was fun to share them with friends. I grew so many individual plants it seemed like a good idea to start selling them at the Farmers’ Market. As my collection expanded, so did my personal knowledge. I’m even learning the scientific names of plants. ”

With The Rooted Lion, they turned their passion into a possibility.

When Rachel’s mother passed away, she did some soul searching. “After all the nonsense about work and unemployment, I decided to work for myself, to take a chance. Everybody says they want to shop small businesses. So it’s up to the consumer now, they have a choice. They can come to the downtown or go to the big businesses. I’m counting on the people because everybody’s craving contact and conversation.”

Rachel said, “We want to begin growing more of our own plants.” Madelyn elaborated, “I’d like to make it a significant percentage. To be able to grow what we’re selling to customers would be really cool.”

Last fall they built two hoop houses for their home-based farm along with a soon-to-be greenhouse to enable cultivating more of their own houseplants. Rachel explained, “Growing our own things will allow us to keep costs down. We know our price point and we know what people around here are comfortable spending. We want to provide them with things they can afford.”

Where did the name “The Rooted Lion” come from?

Madelyn revealed, “Because we were selling plants at the Farmers’ Market already I wanted it to be a twist on our family farm’s name, Dandy Lion Acres. That’s where the ‘lion’ part came from. Keeping it plant-related, I added ‘rooted.’ I like the play on words.”

Concerning the community aspect of their business, Rachel and Madelyn are firm in their desire to work with other businesses to benefit everyone. Madelyn said, “We want this community to thrive. For years, no matter where I went, I felt I’d never run into somebody I know. And now, it’s finally happening! We’re meeting people regularly here in Washington. We’re excited for great opportunities. We’re going to do our best.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing everybody,” Rachel said. “It’s time to emerge, throw open the windows and bring in the fresh air!” and as their plaque reads, “Support plant parenthood!”

The Rooted Lion, 69 E. Washington Avenue, Washington, NJ 07882
(908) 689-0140
info@therootedlion.com
www.therootedlion.com