Shop of the Week: Wild Leaf

Standing outside Wild Leaf, you couldn’t believe such a cosy little shop could be so bursting with plant life within. A wonderful selection of plants, succulents and cacti fill the inside of the shop, and it offers a peaceful patch of greenery in the heart of Gloucester Road’s indie district.

The shop was opened in August 2017 by Tya Shannon after she left her job in sustainable construction and moved to Bristol. Tya knew she’d wanted to run a plant shop for a while, and she realised there was a gap in the market while renovating her new home: buying bigger plants meant having to order online, the downside being that you can’t actually see them before buying.

So she bought the space when the vintage shop Fox & Feather moved a little further down Gloucester Road, in order to provide Bristolians with an amazing range of indoor plants. These range from smaller pot plants which can be bought for around £15, up to huge cacti that loom against the walls, some of which are around 50 years old.

Phlebodium aurenem, the Blue Star fern, is one of Tya’s favourites

Tya’s love of both plant care and interior design meant it was important that the shop’s layout and atmosphere reflected the ethos of the area. “It was about finding that balance of what I thought would work for me running[the business and how I thought people in Bristol would respond to it. Bristol is such a botanical city,” Tya says.

And the interior design certainly goes against the grain of the current aesthetic associated with what’s come to be known as plantscaping. Rather than the Instragrammable white walls and minimalism that is common in London plant shops, the walls and ceiling here are a deep charcoal and the black concrete display pots give the shop an earthy, volcanic feel.

Besides these heavier pots, Tya also displays the plants in seagrass and – most popular – jute baskets, which can be bought separately, and are great for helping customers visualise how well the plants would suit their home.

Tya also sells accessories to go with the plants, including a range of pots

As with many independent shops in the area, Tya and her staff make a point of knowing their stock very well. Every plant is priced and labelled with its Latin name and common name, and with every purchase you receive a card that details how to care for the plant, where it should be kept in a home, and how much water it needs. “We’re here because we love the plants,” Tya says. “We’re not just interested in getting as many out the door as we can, we want them to thrive.”

Tya also stresses the importance of offering clear and easy instructions to prospective buyers: “Everyone wants advice. So we try to give them really practical ways to monitor their plants.” Clearly this approach is having a great effect, and eight months on from its opening the shop now has its regulars and people dropping by to update the Wild Leaf team on how well their plant is doing.

The beautiful Fittonia or nerve plant, a popular choice for terrariums

The pursuit of exchanging knowledge and new skills is also important for Tya and her staff. Robi Moore, the founder of LOOF terrariums who also works at Wild Leaf, has recently run several successful terrarium workshops in partnership with Wild Leaf at the Kiln Workshop next door. She and Tya also want to start doing workshops on kokedama, a Japanese form of bonsai where the root system is encased in a sphere of moss.

Tya and Robi are also offering their skills in plantscaping to anyone and everyone, whether they be locals who want to fill their home with plants or businesses looking to improve their professional space – Tya recently did a plant installation for an event at Harvey Nichols which featured terrariums, kokedama and styled large plants. They hope to expand the shop space in the future, with an eye to moving into either a larger shop or a warehouse to allow for supplying even bigger plants. But for now, this small but mighty business is happy bringing a friendly and accessible approach to plant care to anyone who wishes to learn a new skill set.

Wild Leaf
63 Overton Road
Bristol
BS7 5AG
0117 329 4299

Those interested in plantscaping for their home or business can contact Tya directly at the shop or via email at info@wildleafbristol.co.uk