Two D.C. based women have just launched their virtual plant subscription service in correlation with Earth Day (April 22). Founded by Mignon Hemsley and Danuelle Doswell, Grounded will ship houseplants to plant lovers around the country.
Plants are incredibly therapeutic, and a primary goal of the service is to cultivate wellness, especially within black communities. “We felt like especially in our community, the black community is not as knowledgeable when it comes to different mental health outlets,” Doswell said to DCist. “So that ignited our business.”
With mental health care still remaining a stigma in Black communities, Hemsley and Doswell are emphasizing the importance of self-care, and how therapy comes in many forms. “We’re helping people in our communities realize that this is a cheap kind of therapy,” said Hemsley. “Just watering my plants and checking them is helping me stay sane.”
As a subscriber of Grounded, you will receive personalized packages of plants and vases either monthly or every few months based on your preferences. A three-month commitment is required, and it costs between $50-$100 a month, which depends on the number of plants in each package. There’s also options for non-subscribers: choose from three indoor plants (aloe vera, golden pothos, and snake plants) for around $20 each. These low-maintenance plants were selected to help aspiring plant parents to ease into caring for them. Within the next six months, a larger selection will be available. Plants will either be hand-delivered or shipped for free.
After life resumes back to normal, the entrepreneurs have plans of doing pop-up shops throughout D.C. and even New York.
Visit groundedplants.cargo.site to learn more about how you can become a subscriber!
