Downtown plant store takes off

Terrarium Plant Store in downtown Johnson City was opened by two local teachers in late July and has been a wild success, fostering community and plant love.

Terrarium Plant Store sells locally-grown interior plants that range from small succulents, starting at $3, to nearly four foot tall monsteras. The store also has planters, terrariums and hanging macrame.

In addition to selling plants, Terrarium Plant Store also hosts classes and event nights, like Wine Wednesdays and Propagation Parties. Most recently, the store hosted Relax and Replant, an event which included a yoga class after planting. Holiday-themed events are in the works, including plantings with pumpkins and custom fall and Christmas wreaths.

For founders Kerrie and Brent Sluder, plants have been a part of their lives since childhood. A passion that began with gardening alongside their families has now transformed into a plant store on E. Main Street. Kerrie Sluder, an agriculture teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School, and her husband Brent Sluder, a teacher at Science Hill High School, have been teaching for nearly twenty years and finally made the leap toward fulfilling their dream.

“What business sense I had from any classes I took twenty-five years ago in college was gone,” said Kerrie Sluder.

In April 2021, Kerrie Sluder entered Downtown Johnson City’s CoStarters nine-week course in entrepreneurship where she learned the ins and outs of running a business. Guest speakers and professionals who had completed the course taught everything from insurance and payroll to discovering a target audience.

Kerrie Sluder was eager to be among other entrepreneurs and won 3rd place in the course’s pitch night, for which she received a prize of $500. Kerrie Sluder also secured a grant of $1,500 from the Johnson City Development Authority, assisting with startup costs.

With the help of Diana Cantler, interim executive director of the Johnson City Development Authority, and Shannon Castillo, affiliate broker for Mitch Cox Realtor, the Sluders were able to find the perfect space for Terrarium Plant Store as they envisioned it, and the lease was signed within the week.

“Before I knew it, we were moving furniture in, and I was scared to death,” said Kerrie Sluder. “I’ve been doing the same thing for twenty-two years and here I am.”

The store opened in late July, while the Sluders returned to their full-time teaching jobs, leaving evenings and weekends to work on Terrarium Plant Store.

Kerrie Sluder noted that it has been a team effort. Her family and close friends have all assisted with the success of the store, either by physically lending a hand or by promoting it on social media. Community is central to what Terrarium Plant Store does.

During the second week of operation, Kerrie Sluder went to open the store at 4 p.m. and noticed a person across the street looking at their phone and the surrounding area, presumably searching for the store’s address. They asked if Kerrie was with Terrarium Plant Store, which was remarkable, considering that at this point, the storefront did not even have a sign.

“As soon as they left, I was sort of crying happy tears and I called my husband and I said guess what happened, and I thought man this might make it,” said Kerrie Sluder.

The Sluders are overjoyed at the success they’ve seen.

“It makes me very emotional,” said Kerrie Sluder. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.”

Terrarium Plant Store is also available for private parties, making a fantastic birthday celebration or club meeting.

“We’ve got a full plate and we realize how lucky we are to have that,” said Kerrie Sluder.

To stay updated on all that Terrarium Plant Store is doing, visit their Instagram and Facebook page @terrariumplantstore or their website terrariumplantstore.com.