By Sophie Swain Stand Up For Southport
The Plant Room in Southport is turning one year old this week!
This brilliant local business has already been honoured twice this year in the Southport BID Your Southport Stars Awards, including the New Business of The Year Award.
The unique and independent plant shop, at 18 Market Street, opened down the side of Southport Market after its transformation following a £1.4 million refurbishment.
The market refurbishment, which was completed in 2021, is also celebrating its birthday this week.
It has been three years since Southport Market was turned into a new food, drink and events venue with the hope of attracting new unique independent businesses to the Market Quarter and that it has done.
The Plant Room in Southport, owned by Tracy Jones, is celebrating its first birthday.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Others recent arrivals since the Market conversion include: Season Coffee, Bar & Kitchen; Connolly’s Irish pub; Lectric Eye Emporium; Eva’s Sewing Room; Cake Box; Southport Market Tattoo; Crystals & Crowns; while Quicksilver Music has expanded into bigger new premises.
While a lot of people are still discovering the quirky shop, The Plant Room owner, Tracy Jones says the business has been ‘up and down’ recently as she is eager for more shoppers to discover what she has to offer.
She said: “I’m at a funny stage where a lot of people still don’t know I’m here.”
Despite people still finding out about The Plant Room, Tracy already has a loyal base of customers who visit regularly. Some say they are visiting for their ‘weekly therapy’.
The Plant Room in Southport, owned by Tracy Jones, is celebrating its first birthday.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
“It’s not just a plant,” Tracy explains.
“They do so much more. I am a big advocate for therapeutic plants, they’re not just aesthetically pleasing, they have so many health benefits.
“When I was going through some health issues I focused on plants and they really helped to take my mind off things.
“There’s also environmental aspects, they help clean the air and much more.”
Thanks to a substantial number of votes from local people, Tracy managed to take away two awards this April in the Southport BID Your Southport Stars Awards.
She attended the stylish ceremony at The Grand on Lord Street in Southport.
The Plant Room in Southport, owned by Tracy Jones, is celebrating its first birthday. The business was the Finalist for Independent Retailer of the Year and won the New Business of the Year Award at the Southport BID Your Southport Stars Awards. Photo by Bertie Cunningham Southport BID
The Plant Room was the Finalist for Independent Retailer of the Year and won the New Business of the Year Award.
Tracy said: “I wasn’t expecting it. I was shocked and gobsmacked.
“My customers had to vote and I was buzzing to win.”
The annual awards night, organised by Southport BID, celebrates the vital contribution and positive impact of Southport town centre businesses.
Businesses were invited to nominate themselves before a public vote was undertaken. Over 80,000 individual votes were cast across 11 categories.
The Plant Room in Southport, owned by Tracy Jones, is celebrating its first birthday. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The Plant Room sells a large collection of indoor and outdoor plants, with the most popular ones being pet-friendly, unique, and easy for beginners to look after.
‘Cat Grass’ is proving to be a hit with Southport animal lovers recently – a plant which ‘cats go mad for’ and has health benefits for our furry friends.
Despite being in the industry for over eight years, first getting into floristry when her husband saw an advertisement in a shop, Tracy says she is always learning.
She said: “Sometimes I see products that I have never seen before, I’m fascinated.
“I love what I do, it’s in my bones.”
The Plant Room in Southport, owned by Tracy Jones, is celebrating its first birthday.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Tracy and her husband lived in Brighton for 35 years before deciding to move back to his hometown of Southport and pursue Tracy’s career in plants, which is when she opened the shop.
As well as selling her various plants, as a trained florist, Tracy also offers floral arrangements on pre-order for events such as weddings, celebrations and funerals.
She is hoping to restart her popular workshops in the near future, with small groups having the chance to learn about making glass terrariums, kokedama (the Japanese art of wrapping a plant’s roots in moss and string) and more.
The Plant Room in Southport, owned by Tracy Jones, is celebrating its first birthday. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The Plant Room is open Tuesday through to Saturday 10am – 4pm.
For more information and event announcements, you can follow The Plant Room on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/rottingdeanflorist/
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: [email protected]
