Our greenhouse

Pollinery began in 2016 with a rented 1,800-square-foot greenhouse in Southeast Portland and a shared frustration. Two horticulturists, Dana Whitcombe and Priya Raman, were tired of watching customers buy plants that had been shipped poorly, stored badly, and sold with almost no guidance. They decided to build the shop they wished existed: healthy plants, honest care information, and people who answer their email.

In the early days, Dana and Priya potted every plant by hand and drove local deliveries in a borrowed hatchback. Word spread among neighbors, then among plant lovers in other cities, and by 2018 we were shipping our first boxes out of state. Growth has been steady and deliberate, because we'd rather do a smaller number of things well than a large number of things badly.

Most of what we sell is grown, potted, or hardened off in our own greenhouse. When we buy from outside growers, we choose small nurseries whose practices we've seen firsthand, and we quarantine every new arrival before it joins our stock. We don't use synthetic systemic pesticides on the plants we sell, and we manage pests with cleanliness, beneficial insects, and patient observation.

Packing is where we're most stubborn. Plants ship Monday through Wednesday, in boxes sized to the plant, with the pot secured, the soil held in place, and the foliage protected from crushing. Every order includes a care card written by one of our horticulturists, because knowing what a plant wants matters as much as having a pretty one.

We're proud of being small. Our shop and greenhouse on SE Alder Grove Lane are open to visitors seven days a week, and you're welcome to wander, ask questions, and pick up your online order in person. If you can't visit, write to us at hello@pollinery.com; a real person will answer.