Indoor plant store in Davis draws shoppers via social media
“Plants are the new pets,” says Lawrence Groves. “My end goal is to keep the store as full as I possibly can.” Photo by Debbie Arrington
Lawrence Groves and Ricky Barbosa opened their plant store in the heart of downtown Davis, but it took TikTok to put them on the map.
“I grew up in this area,” Groves says. “When we decided to open our shop, we wanted to do it here because there was nothing like it in Davis.”
The Growing Groves, a play on Groves’ green thumb, inhabits a second-floor space on E Street that once housed a barefoot yoga studio, an herbalist shop and the offbeat gift shop Discoveries. The shop opened in April, reaching out to young plant enthusiasts in a college town full of plant lovers.
Unexpectedly, a break-in led to their breakout moment as TikTok influencers and small-business stars.
A TikTok of security footage capturing a thief stealing one of the shop’s plants went viral. That’s when Groves and Barbosa “saw the value of TikTok and shifted their focus to building an account for their brand,” according to Mariah Hallacy, representing TikTok. “Now the brand’s account has over 3.6k followers (https://www.tiktok.com/@thegrowinggroves) and Larry and Ricky have been able to leverage their newfound TikTok fame into substantial business success, all while supporting their mission to create an environment where avid plant enthusiasts and new plant parents can feel comfortable, confident, and supported along their individual plant journeys.”
The Growing Groves is one of the small businesses spotlighted by TikTok before Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26. TikTok teamed with American Express to offer tools (including a #ShopSmall Accelerator) and support for small business owners such as Groves and Barbosa to reach Gen Z shoppers. According to research, two out of three Gen Z shoppers say they’ve shopped from small businesses that appeared in their “For You” feed.
Millennials like TikTok, too; Groves is 26, Barbosa is 32. (“My house is absolutely insane, it’s a jungle,” says Groves.)
“We do a really great job, but it takes time for people to find out about us,” Groves adds. “(TikTok’s support) has been a really cool experience. We’re in a college town. We don’t do much print advertising because our social media has such a pull.”
Spotlighting new plants each week, Barbosa stars in most of the shop’s TikTok videos, appealing to wannabe plant parents as well as collectors.
“Plants are the new pets,” says Groves. “My end goal is to keep the store as full as I possibly can.”
Groves, who majored in environmental science at University of Washington, worked in the nursery industry for several years before opening the plant shop.
“I had a 9-to-5 (job) and hated every second of it,” he says. “I wanted to make my own store and do whatever I want.”
His touch is on everything in The Growing Groves, from the curated young plants for beginners to the unique houseplant accessories. “It’s constantly evolving,” Groves says of his store. “I’m very picky about everything in the store. … I'm a maximalist. I want to fit in everything everywhere. It makes it more exciting.”
With new stock arriving weekly from local growers, The Growing Groves carries a huge selection of affordable houseplants, most priced under $20. Groves loves hoyas and makes sure there’s a good group of these indoor bloomers. Carnivorous plants are especially hot right now, as are alocasias and anything with variegation.
“Plants shouldn’t be priced so high that they’re only for the elites,” Groves says. “We want to be able to share our love of plants with everyone. … Plants are therapeutic. They make you feel good. They should be accessible to everyone.”
The Growing Groves is located at 219 E St., Suite A, in downtown Davis. It’s open from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. daily.
For more: https://thegrowinggroves.com/ or 530-564-4567.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
Aug. 25: Crape myrtles, Sacramento's unofficial tree of summer
Aug. 18: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower
Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact
Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower
July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show
July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)
July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy
July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies
June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden
June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)
June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of Aug. 16
During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.
* Plant potatoes.
* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.
* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.
* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.
* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.
* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.
* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.
* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.
* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.
* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.
* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.
* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Add asparagus to your edible garden
Soggy soil and what to do about it
Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
We don't talk (enough) about beets
Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Enhance your food with edible flowers
Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
How to grow summer salad greens
Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
Help pollinators help your garden
Battling early-season tomato pests
Where are the bees when you need them?
How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
Grow culinary herbs in containers
When to plant summer vegetables
Don't be fooled by these garden myths
Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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