Cultivating life, beauty
in times of woe
Big Poppa Plantery owner turns hobby into lucrative business
By Sarah Eisinger
STAFF WRITER
BELGRADE — Jasmine Barkley found herself jobless in June 2020.
Bored and stuck indoors due to pandemic restrictions, the future Big Poppa Plantery owner purchased her first house plant with no inclination it would bring new life to so many.
“I needed to embrace the idea that houseplants aren’t just plants,” Barkley said. “They bring healing, happiness and peace.”
Located in Belgrade, the indoor plant business outgrew its original 700-square-foot space to flourish in a home, equipped with a 20- by 20-foot room. The new room is large enough to hang the extra racks and shelves needed for up to 40 species of succulents, cacti, tropical plants and more to total approximately 1,000 house plants.
Presently, Barkley sells at farmers markets in Richmond, Rice, Cold Spring, Sauk Rapids and St. Joseph. Recently, she was invited to sell at Belgrade Hardware. Plants can also be purchased online.
Barkley’s indoor plant business sprouted following a spontaneous shopping trip to a hardware store plant department.
“I thought, ‘I want a succulent from Mexico,’” she said. “I picked plants from Mexico because my grandma immigrated from Mexico to the U.S.”
Barkley chose cacti and succulents, but things did not pan out at first.
“I wanted plants I could relate to, and I killed them all,” she said. “That was when I decided I was going to make this work. Then, I picked up a heart-leaf philodendron. I thought it was pretty, and it turned out to be so easy. It was so cool to watch it grow.”
With diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Barkley said she tends to hyperfocus on activities she finds enjoyable.
“It turned into something I was always thinking about,” she said. “I was on the internet to research all of the time, and it grew from there.”
Barkley learned about the peace lily, Monstera deliciosa, snake plant and philodendrons. She learned which plants were considered pet friendly, such as zebra plants, Hindu ropes, triostars and African violets.
Barkley discovered many easy-to-grow plants, and it became no problem to keep cacti and succulents alive. Each type of house plant has its own needs, and she studied hard to learn what those were.
“I couldn’t keep all the joy I received from having houseplants all to myself, as it was a passion that I needed to share,” Barkley said.
She thought friends and family could derive similar feelings from watching plants mature into their own unique beauty. So, Barkley began propagating her plants.
Today, her propagating station can hold approximately 500 cuttings at one time.
“I needed to share all the positive energy it brought to my home,” she said.
Barkley had a friend who was suffering from depression.
“They needed a distraction,” Barkley said. “They stayed at home a lot. So, I brought some plants over. I taught them how to care for the plants. They were like, ‘It’s nice having something in the room that I can watch bloom.’”
But, there were many others who were isolated indoors. Barkley wanted to reach perfect strangers just as much. She identified a few common everyday stressors faced by most people and decided that everyone could benefit from growing their own plants.
“It makes me happy that they get to watch something flourish, knowing that they did it on their own,” she said.
Barkley noticed that children also benefited from having plants around.
“I get customers with kids who get so excited about plants, especially cacti,” Barkley said. “They just light up. They get so excited. They start growing them young, and it makes them happy.”
Curious about the impact plants have on people, she found research to back her claim that house plants can enhance overall well-being.
Barkley cited a study published by the National Library of Medicine, in which researchers noted decreases in physiological and psychological stress, suppressions in sympathetic nervous system activity and drops in diastolic blood pressure. Researchers concluded that house plants could promote feelings of natural comfort.
“It is important to have that connection to nature,” Barkley said.
As Big Poppa Plantery grew in popularity, Barkley developed a routine that worked best for her. She began waking up around 5 a.m. for daily inspection of the plants. If any look sick, she tends to the affected plants right away. She wipes off leaves and waters plants as needed. She checks for problems with light bulbs and fixtures. Then, she cleans the plant room.
“When the plants go to homes, I want them to look perfect,” Barkley said. “I make sure there are no dead leaves. I want them to be aesthetically pleasing.”
After plant care, Barkley usually hops online to chat with plant enthusiasts, check orders, research, post new photos and keep up on social media accounts.
“The main part is just making sure I am there for people if they need me, especially if struggling,” she said. “It’s satisfying to know that I am part of their journey. It is rewarding to be part of the community, supported by people and believed in. I am honored when I get to be part of someone’s plant origin story.”
By Sarah Eisinger
STAFF WRITER
BELGRADE — Jasmine Barkley found herself jobless in June 2020.
Bored and stuck indoors due to pandemic restrictions, the future Big Poppa Plantery owner purchased her first house plant with no inclination it would bring new life to so many.
“I needed to embrace the idea that houseplants aren’t just plants,” Barkley said. “They bring healing, happiness and peace.”
Located in Belgrade, the indoor plant business outgrew its original 700-square-foot space to flourish in a home, equipped with a 20- by 20-foot room. The new room is large enough to hang the extra racks and shelves needed for up to 40 species of succulents, cacti, tropical plants and more to total approximately 1,000 house plants.
Presently, Barkley sells at farmers markets in Richmond, Rice, Cold Spring, Sauk Rapids and St. Joseph. Recently, she was invited to sell at Belgrade Hardware. Plants can also be purchased online.
Barkley’s indoor plant business sprouted following a spontaneous shopping trip to a hardware store plant department.
“I thought, ‘I want a succulent from Mexico,’” she said. “I picked plants from Mexico because my grandma immigrated from Mexico to the U.S.”
Barkley chose cacti and succulents, but things did not pan out at first.
“I wanted plants I could relate to, and I killed them all,” she said. “That was when I decided I was going to make this work. Then, I picked up a heart-leaf philodendron. I thought it was pretty, and it turned out to be so easy. It was so cool to watch it grow.”
With diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Barkley said she tends to hyperfocus on activities she finds enjoyable.
“It turned into something I was always thinking about,” she said. “I was on the internet to research all of the time, and it grew from there.”
Barkley learned about the peace lily, Monstera deliciosa, snake plant and philodendrons. She learned which plants were considered pet friendly, such as zebra plants, Hindu ropes, triostars and African violets.
Barkley discovered many easy-to-grow plants, and it became no problem to keep cacti and succulents alive. Each type of house plant has its own needs, and she studied hard to learn what those were.
“I couldn’t keep all the joy I received from having houseplants all to myself, as it was a passion that I needed to share,” Barkley said.
She thought friends and family could derive similar feelings from watching plants mature into their own unique beauty. So, Barkley began propagating her plants.
Today, her propagating station can hold approximately 500 cuttings at one time.
“I needed to share all the positive energy it brought to my home,” she said.
Barkley had a friend who was suffering from depression.
“They needed a distraction,” Barkley said. “They stayed at home a lot. So, I brought some plants over. I taught them how to care for the plants. They were like, ‘It’s nice having something in the room that I can watch bloom.’”
But, there were many others who were isolated indoors. Barkley wanted to reach perfect strangers just as much. She identified a few common everyday stressors faced by most people and decided that everyone could benefit from growing their own plants.
“It makes me happy that they get to watch something flourish, knowing that they did it on their own,” she said.
Barkley noticed that children also benefited from having plants around.
“I get customers with kids who get so excited about plants, especially cacti,” Barkley said. “They just light up. They get so excited. They start growing them young, and it makes them happy.”
Curious about the impact plants have on people, she found research to back her claim that house plants can enhance overall well-being.
Barkley cited a study published by the National Library of Medicine, in which researchers noted decreases in physiological and psychological stress, suppressions in sympathetic nervous system activity and drops in diastolic blood pressure. Researchers concluded that house plants could promote feelings of natural comfort.
“It is important to have that connection to nature,” Barkley said.
As Big Poppa Plantery grew in popularity, Barkley developed a routine that worked best for her. She began waking up around 5 a.m. for daily inspection of the plants. If any look sick, she tends to the affected plants right away. She wipes off leaves and waters plants as needed. She checks for problems with light bulbs and fixtures. Then, she cleans the plant room.
“When the plants go to homes, I want them to look perfect,” Barkley said. “I make sure there are no dead leaves. I want them to be aesthetically pleasing.”
After plant care, Barkley usually hops online to chat with plant enthusiasts, check orders, research, post new photos and keep up on social media accounts.
“The main part is just making sure I am there for people if they need me, especially if struggling,” she said. “It’s satisfying to know that I am part of their journey. It is rewarding to be part of the community, supported by people and believed in. I am honored when I get to be part of someone’s plant origin story.”
