Nurture your green thumb at Growin Shade

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Growing indoor plants has proven to have tremendous benefits: indoor plants have the power to boost moods, reduce stress, and add life to sterile spaces. However, many people were born without a green thumb, and therefore lack essential knowledge of plant care.

If you are also a struggling plant parent, visit the plant lovers at Growin Shade—a local business that teaches basic plant care and makes aesthetically pleasing plant accessories.

Growin Shade sells a wide variety of indoor plants and delightful plant trellises and accessories designed to beautify your home. The business also hosts fun workshops, with five workshops offered in the month of August alone. With products and workshops catered for people with minimal plant-care experience and expert gardeners alike, Growin Shade truly offers something for everyone.

Growin Shade sprouted when owners Kandice Rodgers and her husband, Aaron Holmes, had a vision to give plant accessories a more aesthetically pleasing, home-decor look. Both Kandice and Aaron have experience in design and shared a love for plants, and with their design backgrounds in tow, they set off to make their dreams a reality. Through their website and Etsy store, they began designing and selling plant trellises and other accessories, like propagation stands. Kandice and Aaron began selling at local farmers’ and craft markets throughout Long Island, and when customers expressed interest in buying plants along with the accessories and trellises, they began selling indoor plants as well.

“A little over a year ago, we started a little plant cart that we would take out once a week, along with the weekly markets,” explained Kandice. “So that was like our test run. If we could do well with a little plant cart, a mini store, then we could try for an actual store. Then last year we got lucky, found this space, and just ran with it.”

Growin Shade officially opened this year on Feb. 11, in a prime location: Main Street in Islip. Since then, Kandice and Aaron’s design background and passion for plants have shone through every product, plant, and workshop offered at their local business.

“My love for plants and sharing that knowledge is really what drives this business. I want to see people happy and help build their confidence when it comes to growing pants,” shared Kandice. “I want you to go home and love having the plant, rather than be stressed out about a plant that is not doing well.”

Kandice has found the workshops hosted at Growin Shade to be especially successful in getting the Islip community involved.

“The workshops have been an amazing way to meet the community; they are so much fun,” gushed Kandice. “I just love the interaction and conversations that we have at these kinds of events and sharing my knowledge of plants. The workshop is like a mashup of a nice social evening and plants coming together.”

You can register for workshops and events at Growinshade.com. Products and plants can be purchased at the store or on their website, with an option for the products to be delivered to your doorstep. Support this local business by attending the following workshops and events offered this August:

Paint, Pot, and Sip - Friday, Aug. 18 from 7 - 9 p.m.

During this popular event, participants will paint their pots before potting a plant to take home. All materials will be provided for participants. There will be refreshments served, and participants are asked to bring their own wine. This event is priced at $30.

Children’s Paint and Pot - Saturday, Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Children will express their creativity by painting their own personal pot. Growin Shade has a plant potting sensory table for younger children to enjoy, and older children will have the option of potting their plant with soil. All participants will go home with a non-toxic, child-safe plant to go into their painted pot. Children will enjoy light refreshments and juice, and all materials will be provided. This event is priced at $30.

Terrarium Workshop - Saturday, Aug. 19 from 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Participants will pick from an array of terrarium plants, stones, moss bark, and other decorative accessories and build their very own terrarium and mini ecosystem. This terrarium workshop is slightly more challenging than other workshops. All participants will receive a glass terrarium and an assortment of plants to place inside, as well as instruction on how to build and maintain the terrarium at home. Food and drinks will be served, and participants are invited to bring their own wine. This workshop is priced at $65.

Pottery Workshop - Friday, Aug. 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Participants will be instructed by ceramicist Jessamyn Go of Femme Sole to create 4”x5” planters with speckled clay. A block of clay will be given to each participant to mold, and participants are encouraged to be as creative as they want while personalizing their planters. Details can be added with underglaze and by carving designs into the clay. All materials will be provided for use during the workshop, and refreshments will be served from 6:30 – 7 p.m. This workshop is priced at $65.

Plant Care Workshop - Saturday, Aug. 26, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

This workshop is perfect for beginners or anyone looking to add plants to their home or office. Participants will learn the basics of plant care, including the different varieties of plants and their lighting and watering requirements. A beginner plant will be given to each participant as they embark on their plant journey. Food and drinks will be served at the workshop, which is priced at $30.