Hope MacPherson-Dingwall, also known as Plant Daddy Hope, is the entrepreneur behind 613Plants – a popular online plant boutique based out of Lunenburg, Ontario.
On the 613Plants website, you can find a wide variety of plants available for pick-up or delivery. Hope delivers the plants herself across Cornwall and SDG and is passionate about helping people find the right plant(s) for their space and lifestyle.
“It was exciting to win Cornwall Community Votes Platinum for Florist and Flower Shops in 2021. It’s really exciting to be recognized by the community for not only selling houseplants but also sharing growing knowledge,” said Hope, who was one of the first retailers to offer just houseplants in Cornwall.
How it all started:
Believe it or not, Hope only got into plants as a hobby in 2019 and opened her business in 2020, right when the pandemic started. Her family has had an outdoor garden since 2017.
“In my home growing up there was never a houseplant, nor a garden, so I never had any knowledge. I just bought a houseplant for our home, like at Walmart, and that’s what started it,” she shared.
“I was posting pictures of my plants and people wanted cuttings and pieces. I was selling them, and my plants were looking terribly bare, so I started driving to greenhouses within two hours of us. I was reselling full plants and it was going famously. So, I just started a business.”
Hope decided to pursue plants full-time in 2021 after being one of several employees let go from Best Buy during downsizing. In the last two years, she has also established herself in the local market scene taking part in over 60 markets!
“That’s my main thing. I do website sales and delivery, but I love to show up at markets to be that in-person shopping experience,” she explained to Seaway News.
What‘s next:
Looking ahead, Hope shared that she plans to continue selling from her website and at markets because it is going so well. Next year, she is hoping to continue to grow with more organic gardening.
“Last season I started to sell out of my garden, and it went extremely well. I sold at farmer’s markets, and I really want to expand on that. It’s so fun for me just growing it and showing people how you could do it in our area.”
How to shop 613Plants:
- 613plants.com
- Markets in Cornwall and SDG
