Running a Plant Business
Starting a nursery is one thing. Running it as a business — one that’s profitable, stress-free, and fits into your life — is another.
Over 20+ years we’ve learned a lot the hard way. Some lessons came from happy surprises, others from “uh-oh” moments we’ll never forget. This page is about those lessons — the real business side of plants.
The “Uh-Oh” Moments
Every business has them. For us, they’ve looked like:
- Cutting back thousands of plants, only to lose them all in a sudden frost.
- Potting over 2,000 plants before a flood came through and washed them away.
- Trying to do our own tax to save money (spoiler: it didn’t).
- Coming back from holiday to find rabbits had eaten our entire sale batch.
- Growing too many of a plant we personally loved, only to find no one wanted to buy them.
The lesson? Plants will keep you humble. You’ll never stop learning.
What Sells (and What Doesn’t)
One of the funniest surprises: English Box. We don’t like it. Honestly, at a certain stage it smells like cat pee. But customers? They love it. We’ve sold it by the thousand.
That taught us a golden rule: just because you don’t like a plant doesn’t mean it won’t make you money. The market decides, not you.
At the same time, growing too much of something without demand is a fast way to waste time and money. Balance is everything.
Valuing Your Time
When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to say yes to everything. We did it too — sold plants too cheap, undervalued our time, chased every opportunity.
These days? We say no. And guess what? Customers want our stock more. It’s funny how that works.
Better to do less work for more money than run yourself ragged moving cheap stock.
Work, Life, and Freedom
At the start it was a grind. We had a young family, and it felt like we were always chasing our tails. But over time, things shifted.
We built systems, found better ways to sell, and suddenly had room to breathe. We’d pot plants while listening to podcasts, learning about investing, health, or business. That knowledge compounded.
Now? We have multiple streams of income, including shares and this online presence. We take Fridays off to walk in the bush. We work out, eat healthy, and enjoy the freedom we’ve built.
That’s the real payoff.
Small or Big? Choosing Your Path
Some of our clients run big nurseries with staff and trucks going out every day. They make more money than us, sure. But they’re always busy — putting out fires, managing people, never stopping.
For us, the goal was lifestyle. We stayed small. It’s simpler, less stress, and still profitable.
The choice is yours: do you want a simple life, or a big business?
Customers: The Good, the Bad, and the Time Wasters
At markets we used to get endless questions: “I need a hedge I don’t have to trim, but it has to stay compact and uniform.”
Some people just want to talk. That’s fine, but you learn to spot the time wasters and politely move them along.
That’s one reason we love wholesale — fewer customers, bigger sales, less hassle.
Learn From Our Experience
Running a plant business isn’t about having all the answers from day one. It’s about learning — sometimes the hard way — and building something that fits your goals.
If you want truckloads of money, you can hire staff and scale. If you want a stress-free, profitable lifestyle, you can stay small and focused.
We’ve tried both ends of the spectrum. We know what worked for us.
👉 Over time, we’ll be creating the Plant Business Blueprint, pulling all these lessons into one place. For now, feel free to send us your questions. We may not answer them all, but your questions will help shape the ultimate guide.
Step-by-Step Plant Business Guides
Below you’ll find detailed posts on the nuts and bolts: pricing, selling channels, wholesale vs. retail, scaling smart, and more.