When Lewis Deng’s mother suffered a stroke that paralyzed half of her body, he began searching for ways to alleviate her suffering. Deng found an unlikely treatment to her depression: houseplants. “I came across a study that showed how houseplants help people with stress and depression, and decided to surround my mother with her own indoor-jungle of plants,” Deng says.
Deng noticed an improvement in his mother’s mood and outlook after caring for the plants. Now, it’s Deng who is surrounded by an indoor-jungle at his recently opened plant store, BotanyZhi, located in a rustic brick-and-mortar in downtown Santa Rosa.
Originally from Chengdu, China, Deng and his husband moved to the area in March 2020 after falling in love with Sonoma County on their honeymoon trip along the West Coast. Deng brought his love for plants with him, initially selling plants out of a living room space on Facebook Marketplace. “It started out as a hobby page on Instagram, then I had people asking if I would sell any of the plants and it went from there,” he says.
Deng’s plant business grew by word of mouth, as he nurtured a healthy following of avid houseplant enthusiasts searching for exotic plants at affordable prices. This following planted the seeds for his living room shop to mature into a storefront. “I’ve always wanted my own shop and to share my art with people. Plants aren’t simply plants; they’re a lifestyle,” Deng says.
The “plant lifestyle” has blossomed with new popularity during the pandemic of 2020, with more people forced to stay home and looking for ways to liven-up their space or a new hobby. “There has definitely been a surge in the houseplant market since Covid-19. On my first day open I had more than 300 customers,” Deng says.
Deng’s motto is “From Our Jungle to Yours,” and he’s eager to share his knowledge of caring for the plants he sells based off of past mistakes and lessons learned—tips his customers appreciate. Deng’s husband also has a background in interior design, something that features prominently in the shop with an artfully crafted array of vintage furniture from second-hand stores serving as display cases for plants.
“We were able to keep our shop décor under $2,000, doing it all on our own. Our theme is ‘Bohemian, middle-century plus modern,” he says.
Deng and his husband’s unique eye for décor is on display in the furniture and the plants; Deng handpicks all his plants directly from distributors. “My plants have love on them,” he says. “They’re more than plants on a shelf. I care for the plants and the people I sell them to.”
Deng’s most popular selling-plant thus far from his indoor jungle is the aptly nicknamed, “Jungle Cat” Calathea variety. And Deng’s No. 1 tip for new plant owners is to not shower your plants with too much love. In other words, DO NOT overwater!
BotanyZhi is open Monday to Friday from 12 to 5p.m. and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
