When many of us think of Uplands Crescent in Swansea's Uplands, we think of restaurants, bars and students - but one businesswoman is putting the residential and leisure area on the Swansea map for another reason: gorgeous houseplants. Laweza Ali, 26, opened Plants and Papers in May, 2021 after months of planning and preparation - and it's quickly become the go-to place for houseplant fans across the city.
The unit, which housed a vape shop before the pandemic, is almost filled to the brim with hanging plants, large potted plants, small plants, cactuses, rare plants and a wide range of other potted plants and plant-related gifts. There's also a range of rolling papers and smoking paraphernalia available at the rear of the shop.
We visited the shop on a cold Tuesday lunchtime - and were struck by just how many people of different ages and backgrounds came in to buy a houseplant for themselves or as a gift for a loved one, or stepped through the shop's doors simply to ask Laweza for planting advice.
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Laweza grew up in Nottingham and moved to Swansea for university a few years ago. After graduating from University of South Wales Trinity St David with a degree in events management, she moved back to Nottingham and worked as a pastoral manager at a secondary school. Whilst Laweza loved the role and loved being able to help and support young people, she felt "pulled back" to Swansea, she said, and wanted to try something completely new.
An avid houseplant fan herself and keen to run her own business, Laweza soon realised there was a gap in the market in Swansea for a houseplant shop. While many plant enthusiasts build their collections over several years, recently more and more people have started to buy plants for their homes, potentially because many of us are spending more time at home as home-workers and want to make our home feel lighter, airier or more colourful.
"My nan is a farmer and my mum is really into gardening. When I was growing up, we'd go and see my nan in Pakistan for six or eight weeks at a time in the summer holidays and I'd be milking the cows and cropping the sweetcorn. I loved it!" Laweza said. "My first houseplant was a pothos, a devil's ivy. [My interest in houseplants] grew from there!"
Originally, Laweza looked at running a stall in Swansea Market but, with the pandemic bringing everything to a standstill, her plans fell through. Fortunately, a larger unit on Uplands Crescent later became available and - after "harassing" the building owner for a viewing, she said - Laweza was able to view the unit and take it on. Over the next eight months, she completely transformed the former vape shop into an inviting houseplant paradise with regular customers coming every month, week - and some every weekday.
"I went to uni in Swansea, studied events management and then moved back to Nottingham and I started working as a pastoral manager at my old secondary school," Laweza said. "I was there for two years, I loved it but there's something about Swansea that just pulled me back - the people, the city, the potential. I knew I could bring something to this place.
One of the reasons Laweza chose the store on Uplands Crescent is because it's "south-facing," making it a much better spot for growing plants than many other nearby units, she said. That said, the unit had a reputation for being a "doomed shop" - with businesses that had been there before the pandemic rarely lasting very long. Whilst for a food shop or restaurant "it might be the wrong side of the road," Laweza suggested, for her plant shop it's the perfect location.
"We had 80 people through the door on the first day, but after that it started to die down for a little while. For the first few months, I'd consider it a 'little win' whenever anyone would cross the road and come in - but gradually, more and more people heard of us, our plants and our events, and more and more people come across the road to our shop now."
Whilst daytime trade is steady - a mixture of people buying plants, rolling papers, or both, by night the shop really comes alive, she says. Laweza and her colleagues occasionally host local DJs who perform their sets at the rear of the shop, providing entertainment while people peruse the plants, and there's also plans to host evening workshops in the shop too.
"We're open 10am to 10pm seven days a week. At night, it's like a plant experience! Where I'm from in Nottingham, there's loads of shops open in the evenings and night-times, so I wanted to bring a little of that late-night shopping experience to here," she said.
Looking ahead to 2023
Currently, Plants & Papers stocks more than 1,000 plants of more than 250 species. They're sourced from "the same supplier as the Eden Project" and regular deliveries means there's always something new and exciting to see in the shop. Plus, Laweza moves the plants and furnishings around every month, to keep the store fresh.
On the papers side of things, Plants & Papers stocks rolling papers imported from the US, CBD drinks and smoking paraphernalia. There's also a few t-shirts and tote bags with the Plants & Papers logo on, as Laweza wants to build the shop's brand in the coming months.
Plus, whilst Laweza has visited a few local schools this year with her houseplants, she plans on running a few workshops in local schools next year, as well as some workshops in the store. People will be invited to learn how to look after their houseplants or for events hosted by local DJs and even "plants and prosecco" evenings. Laweza will be announcing events as they're arranged on Plants & Papers page on Facebook and Instagram. She hopes extra events will help raise the profile of her business, while also earning a bit of extra cash for the business amid increasing bills during this cost of living crisis.
You can find Plants & Papers at 58 Uplands Crescent (same side of the road as Starbucks), Uplands. It's open 10am to 10pm seven days a week.
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