ThePlant Lounge

Just one step upon entering The Plant Lounge in Suffield, Connecticut and visitors will be in a serene, natural setting surrounded by a gorgeous assortment of plants galore.

“Our checkout desk faces the door, and I love to see the expressions on the faces of customers visiting us for the first time as they are greeted by the sight of so many plants, the smell of nature and the pleasing scent of an oil diffuser, as well as calming, soft acoustic music playing in the background,” said owner Tracey Trombley.

B efore opening The Plant Lounge with her husband Charlie in October last year, Trombley was employed as a medical office manager and later during COVID worked for Farmtek. But caring for plants over the years was equally a full-time hobby that would soon blossom into a business.

“I had over 100 plants in our home during the COVID lockdown and my husband was complaining there were so many that they were blocking his view of the outdoors. So, we built an 8-foot by 24-foot heated polycarbonate greenhouse in the backyard where I moved most of them. I spent a lot of time in the greenhouse propagating plants and learning more about how to take care of them,” Trombley said.

In fact, she grew so many that the greenhouse couldn’t hold another single plant.

“So, we turned to selling them at farmers markets on the weekends when we weren’t working our full-time jobs. Because we did better than expected, the intent was to open our own shop in about five years, but that was before she was suddenly laid off. We sped up the process and took the plunge investing every penny we had into a site we found at the Suffield Village Market to house our shop,” Trombley said.

Originally the couple wanted to call their business C.T. Greenery, which reflected their first initials – C for Charlie and T for Tracey – but people began referring to them as Connecticut Greenery.

“Our goal then was to come up with a more pleasing name, something that rolls off the tongue easily and creates a vision of what we are all about. I believed that incorporating the word lounge into our name would help to inspire potential customers to come in and find out what a plant lounge is all about – a relaxing place that sells plants and takes care of all the senses,” Trombley said.

Business is going well since The Plant Lounge opened just eight months ago.

“The community has been so amazing and supportive. Not only do we sell house plants and accessories, but the supplies needed to care for them, and we offer education on how to keep your plants healthy,” Trombley said.

“Another big attraction is that we will repot your plants. There can often be a lot of sentimentality surrounding a plant that might have been in the family for a long time, and the owner is not sure how to repot it or is afraid to do so on their own,” she added.

Among the many thriving plants found for sale at The Plant Lounge – up to 400 standing and hanging beauties – are multiple varieties of philodendrons, aloe, string of pearls, palms, syngoniums, alocasias, snake plants, string of turtles, peperomias, hoyas and jade to mention just a very few.

“ We sell plant varieties that can tolerate low light, some that are safe with pets around, rare collector varieties and prayer plants,” Trombley said about her stock that ranges in price from $5.99 up to $250 or more for collector plants.

W hile flowers are extremely popular, there are reasons why some people prefer to purchase plants.

“The big difference is that plants have longevity over flowers. They are also very popular as gifts, especially at housewarmings, as well as for get-well wishes, funerals and many other occasions. Also, plants often carry a sentimentality along with them. For example, a mom might give her daughter a plant for her room at college, something she will then have for many years if taken care of properly, and that serves as a reminder of her mother’s thoughtful gesture,” Trombley said.

“Plant care is also self-care. When learning how to take care of your plant, it can be a very gratifying experience, one that is therapeutic and good for your own mental health,” she added.

W hile every plant is different and owners should follow specific instructions on how to care for them, Trombley offered some general tips to nurture your plants to continued beauty and health.

“I always say the three things to remember are lighting, water and diagnosing problems. Some people wake up every Saturday morning and water their plants. Don’t water them on a schedule, every plant is different. Some plants thrive on light, while others grow better in the shade. And keep an eye out for pests that might be living among your plants,” she said.

“Some people freak out when they see bugs. If that’s the case, they can bring the plant to me at a scheduled time when I can treat it at my plant hospital,” she added.

Trombley also had advice for people who say they always seem to “kill their plants.”

“ When people say that to me, I tell them, ‘Challenge accepted,’ and when buying one of our plants they have me to come back to now for any questions, education and support in keeping their purchase healthy. I also tell them they can bring their plant in or send me a photograph for diagnosis if their plant appears sick and isn’t doing well. I also ask them about the environment the plant will be living in and their lifestyle, whether they have time to care for it or not. Knowing the answers, I can suggest the right plant for them to increase their success rate,” she said.

In addition to her well-cared for plants, Trombley offers a variety of plant-related items to go along with them including greeting cards from Karenoughcrafts & Boutique in Suffield; macramé pieces for hanging plants by Yarn Addiction Arts in Ellington; and handmade cement cachet pots from Potted Pots in Stratford. She also makes and sells her own potting soil mixes, proprietary blend organic pest solutions and fertilizer from Liqui-dirt in Utah.

A s for the future, Trombley is already making plans for the shop.

“ We hope to expand and incorporate more lounge space and furniture so people can relax, use their laptops and just recenter themselves among nature and good air to breathe,” she said.

THE PLANT LOUNGE IS LOCATED AT 68 BRIDGE STREET, SUFFIELD, CT HOURS: WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SUNDAY FROM NOON - 5PM, THURSDAY FROM 1PM - 7PM AND SATURDAY FROM 10AM - 5PM FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THEPLANTLOUNGE.COM OR CALL 860-758-7003

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