According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, having plants in a home can reduce stress and be a positive mood booster. For many; however, some of the only places to acquire houseplants are big-box stores such as Walmart and Lowe's. Oftentimes, the plants purchased in this way have been meticulously grown and pruned to be perfect.
Botanical Pimpin’ aims to change that. Owner Rayna Cespedes, also known by her online name Plant Pimp, collects and sells broken and neglected plants to give them a second chance at life.
Growing up in urban Florida, she was not familiar with the diversity of flora in southeast Ohio until she moved to Athens to be with her girlfriend. However, she went to her grandmother’s farm often during her childhood, where she found a love for plants and nature. Cespedes said all plants deserve to be treated as living beings.
“When you're from a major city, yes, there's trees and there's things like that, but there's a lot more life and nature out here,” she said. “So that got me inspired. And then I just started collecting them and collecting them. And I realized any little piece that you find on the floor that's broken off, you can grow it. Even if it's not the nicest plant. It's so rewarding to see it.”
Not only does Cespedes source her plants directly from the environments around her, but she also thrifts the containers she puts them in. Instead of traditional plant pots, she uses containers like coffee mugs and mason jars. She believes upcycling can bring a new life to an item that would otherwise be ignored.
“I really like the idea of trying to get people to upcycle, reuse things, but in a way where they can actually be excited about it and to do it,” she said.
Sourcing pots and plants for as cheap as possible allows Botanical Pimpin’ to keep costs as low for customers as possible, allowing almost anyone to have access to the revitalized plants. Prices range from $2-$25, but most are on the lower end, around $5-$10 without the purchase of a thrifted pot.
Another factor that allows Cespedes to keep prices low is by having business located in The Shack at 20 S. Court Street. Mike Carson, Ohio University alumnus and owner of The Shack, said he thinks it is important for small business owners to lift each other up.
“When I first opened up, I had a lot of people give me (a) helping hand and help me get along on my way,” he said. “(They) answered a lot of questions that I probably didn't know as a starting entrepreneur. So I think it's important for other people to pass that torch forward and help others as they start off small and then eventually grow into bigger entities.”
Cespedes plans to expand to more businesses in the future. Carson hopes his support can help Botanical Pimpin’ grow even more.
“Get in touch with different people locally,” he said. “Support local. That's kind of what I was just trying to do, just to support someone local.”
Cespedes strives to spread the message of slowing down and seeing the nature around us, no matter how small, to more people. She said everyone can find joy in plants.
“The more that we can get people to at least think about and pay attention, even maybe just something that's never crossed their mind,” she said. “All day you pass by plants. All day you probably pass by a bunch on the floor, you could pick it up. You (could) save it.”
Botanical Pimpin' can be found on Instagram at @botanicalpimpin. Her hours follow those of The Shack, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
